Primal Instinct II: 04 Seconds
by enginerdthebard
Summary: After the frightening separation then remerging of Helena's Meta and Human halves, Barbara's happiness is marred by a nagging worry; the remerging had been cut short by 0.4 seconds.
1. Chapter 1 - The Morning After

**Primal Instinct II: ****0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

**Synopsis**: After the frightening separation then remerging of Helena's Meta and Human halves, Barbara's happiness is marred by a nagging worry; the remerging had been cut short by 0.4 seconds.

**Author's Note**: This story takes place immediately after Primal Instinct, but can be read as a standalone. However, to better understand (attempted) character development, it is recommended you try out the first story…well, first. Happy reading!

Enginerd, February 2014

* * *

**Chapter 1 - The Morning After**

Barbara snuggled against the warm body in her bed as she took a deep, contented breath. She had been awake for a few minutes but didn't want to move. It was the first morning she had woken up with Helena in her bed. Well, technically, she had woken up with Helena in her bed a few times before; but it was because she had been recovering from a nightmare or a bad injury.

The only thing Helena was recovering from now was a long night of passion, Barbara thought with amazement. She had worried that she would not be able to satisfy her partner. She had worried that when it came to sex, her best days were behind her – like Batgirl. She had worried Helena would feel awkward about her paralysis and treat her like fine china as other lovers had.

She didn't have to worry.

Boy, she really didn't have to worry, Barbara considered as a sly, satisfied smile emerged. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found a pair of loving blue eyes looking at her.

Helena smiled and tenderly caressed Barbara's cheek. "Good morning," she said softly.

Barbara smiled. "A very good morning," she confirmed and propped herself up on an elbow, looking at Helena's amazingly kissable lips. Unable to resist, Barbara leaned in and took possession of them.

Helena didn't mind Barbara's tendency for dominance. In fact, she was thrilled that the woman knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it. As Barbara kissed her way down her chest, she couldn't help but purr. She could feel Barbara's smile against her skin just before a moist mouth captured her nipple.

"God," Helena hissed, breathing raggedly as an unrelenting tongue skillfully teased her sensitive flesh, re-igniting her arousal. As Barbara's hand slowly made its way down, caressing smooth skin, Helena was torn between enjoying the slow, sweet torture and wanting to be fucked now! Her impatience winning, she opened her mouth to beg for NOW when suddenly, fingers filled her, provoking a strangled "yes!"

There was no hesitation or timid motions – she was being fucked well and good. _Thank you GOD!_

Barbara was amazed by the young woman's responsiveness to her touch. She had wondered if it had been a fluke last night, perhaps enhanced by a "first-time" haze. But Helena was so wet and ready for her this morning. The effect she had on the younger woman was a heady aphrodisiac.

Equally amazing to Barbara was her own responsiveness to Helena. Every sound, every touch excited Barbara in a way she had never thought possible – even before the shooting. Each trembling muscle, each strained cry of pleasure coaxed from her lover enflamed her own arousal, causing Barbara's body to respond – even parts she thought would never respond again.

As she brought Helena closer to climax, her own body throbbed with anticipation.

"Barbara!" Helena cried out as her body convulsed in delicious release.

Barbara held on as she felt her own climax overtake her. That had _**never**_ happened with any other partner. Ever. Barbara's stray thought of whether she should go to church to give thanks was interrupted when Helena's arms encircled her and pulled her firmly against her. "What a way to start the morning, Red," Helena said approvingly with a warm chuckle.

"Indeed, Hel," Barbara smiled, her fingers lazily tracing over the younger woman's arm.

"How about I return the favor," Helena said with a smirk.

"Uh, you already did," Barbara said with some embarrassment, biting her lip. She never was comfortable discussing orgasms with her sex partners. And since the shooting, she never had anything to discuss – other than trying to appease her partner's ego when they failed to bring her to climax. She had even debated faking it to avoid the inevitable awkward discussions, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do that on principle. She had come to accept that any intimacy she had with a lover would forever be physically limited. But she had been wrong…blessedly wrong when she and Helena touched, she considered with amazement, her body still thrumming happily.

Helena blinked then smiled broadly. "Damn I'm good!"

"Well, I can't argue with that," Barbara said, chuckling.

"But Barbara," Helena said, looking deep into her eyes with suchseriousness, Barbara started to grow worried. "I don't want to be accused of being lazy," Helena continued, slowly positioning herself above her lover, who started to feel like, well, prey.

"No?" Barbara asked innocently, her body tingling with anticipation.

"No. You can call me old-fashioned if you want," Helena said seriously.

"I don't think that is likely to happen, sweetie," Barbara said with amusement, reaching up to brush a lock of hair off of Helena's brow.

"But I do enjoy working for what I get," she said, her eyes beginning to return to those cat-like slits as they focused on her object of desire.

Barbara smiled happily; certain she would never tire of seeing Helena's eyes change. "Very commendable of . . . oooh," Barbara said, relishing the feeling of Helena's erect nipples as she lowered her body onto her.

Helena's joy was apparent on her face. Barbara raised her hand to Helena's cheek and reverently caressed it.

"I love you, Helena." The truth the normally perceptive woman had finally recognized only a day before, rolled off Barbara's lips like the most natural and easy declaration in the world.

The powerful combination of the tremendous words and their intimate position washed over Helena, who blinked back tears that seemed to spring up out of nowhere.

"You are everything to me, Barbara. Everything," Helena responded earnestly, looking into emerald eyes that were blinking back their own tears.

"Well?" Barbara said after clearing her throat, continuing to caress her cheek. There had been too many tears in their lives up until now, she considered, believing now was the time for joy and laughter. "Are you going to demonstrate this amazing work ethic of yours or watch me spontaneously combust?" Barbara asked with challenge.

"Wow. You could combust?" Helena asked with great interest.

"Helen . . . ahhhh."

**/BoP\**

"Are you sure you don't want a pop tart or two?" Helena asked as she placed hers in the toaster.

"I'm sure," Barbara said, turning a page of her newspaper and sipping her coffee at the kitchen table.

"Toast?"

"No, thank you," Barbara said, focused on the newspaper article on the furniture tycoon Harold Daley.

"Alfred bought some toasted oaty things, I could pour a bowl for you," Helena said, causing Barbara to finally look up from the paper.

"Helena? Is there a reason you feel compelled to feed me?" Barbara asked with mild amusement for her persistence.

Helena sat down across from the redhead, looking at her very seriously. "Yes."

After a moment of silence, Barbara sighed. "And that reason is?" Barbara asked, pulling her glasses off to look at her vague companion.

"It's a fundamental of nature, Barbara. You've _**got**_ to eat," Helena said earnestly.

"Of course, but . . .." Barbara sighed.

The toaster dinged. "Hold that thought!"

Helena jumped up and retrieved her pop tarts. Just as quickly, she returned to the table and her earnest look. "Barbara, you need to eat. Keep your strength up . . . and all," she said, putting a pop tart on a plate and pushing it towards Barbara.

"Ah, so the real reason comes out."

"You sure you don't want some pop tarts?" She said with a pout, eyeing the plate, then Barbara.

Withholding a grin, Barbara sighed and responded, "You know I don't really care for pop tarts, Helena."

A wounded look crossed the young woman's face. "I _**toasted**_ them," she said indignantly, as if that made them inordinately tastier.

"And," Barbara said, reaching out to trace her fingers over Helena's brow and down her face. "I think **you** better worry about keeping your strength up, Sweetie," Barbara said with a smirk, grabbing Helena's top and pulling her in for a heated kiss.

Helena rose out of her chair, not breaking the kiss and abruptly pushed the newspaper and plate out of the way; the plate and the pop tarts on it sailed off the table and crashed to the ground. In surprise, Barbara pulled back from the kiss. She opened her mouth to ask what Helena thought she was doing but released a startled gasp, feeling the younger woman lift her easily out of the chair.

"Hel!" Barbara said with shock, finding herself on the kitchen table, looking into cat eyes that prompted a surprisingly strong surge of arousal. Inundated with wet kisses on her neck that further fueled her excitement, she realized Helena's hands were in the process of unbuttoning her jeans.

"Hel, we're in the kitchen!" Barbara hissed with panic, as an arousing thrill of danger passed through her. "What if Dinah came in? Or Alfred?!"

"They're not here now," Helena said dismissively.

With a single focus, Helena continued to tease the older woman with nibbles and licks at her sensitive neck. "Besides, it's an ideal location - food is close by to keep my strength up," Helena said, her hands now working to undo the buttons on Barbara's blouse.

Before the redhead knew it, her blouse was wide open, draped off her shoulders and her bra was torn open, exposing her full breasts to Helena's appreciative gaze. "Oh GOD," Barbara moaned as Helena's warm hand cupped her breast and squeezed the erect nipple. Before she could protest, which she knew she was obligated to do, Helena's mouth possessed a nipple and her fingers intimately caressed her sex. Not having much time to savor Helena's tactile skill, Barbara shuddered as an orgasm washed over her. Her hands reached out roughly, one grabbed Helena's shoulder, the other - an arm, where her nails dug painfully deep into muscle. A sound, a mix of a growl and moan, erupted. When her aftershocks stopped, she noticed Helena was shaking.

"Sweetie?" Barbara breathed, her curiosity piqued. "Did you just . . .?"

"Oh yeah," Helena breathed into Barbara's neck, calming down from the intense high.

Barbara chuckled, stroking the back of Helena's neck. "Damn I'm good," she said, repeating Helena's earlier, very accurate, declaration.

Helena pulled back, her eyes now a beautiful blue, and gazed lovingly at Barbara. "I can't argue with that." Glancing down as Barbara slipped out of the torn bra, she winced. "Sorry about the collateral damage."

Barbara glanced down at her bra, then the floor where the broken plate and pop tart rested. She eyed her wryly. "You'd better clean that up before Alfred comes along," she warned, prompting Helena to quickly clean up. "I need another . . . ," Barbara said, not finishing her sentence as she awkwardly motioned to the torn remnants of her bra.

"Geeze Barbara, we just had sex on the kitchen table and you can't say bra?" Helena teased as she picked up the plate pieces and threw them in the trash.

"I can say bra," Barbara said defensively as she rebuttoned her blouse as good manners dictated. Helena didn't understand the need, besides a couple buttons were missing. "Bra. Bra, bra, bra!"

Helena looked at her with amusement. "My, what a potty mouth you have, Miss Gordon!"

Barbara rolled her eyes as she rolled to her bedroom.

"Well, I think I've finally found something I'd like to spend the Wayne fortune on," Helena said conversationally, trailing behind Barbara to the bedroom.

"Oh?" Barbara asked curiously as she opened her dresser drawer and pulled out another bra.

"I can get you a lot of really great lingerie," she said, then smiled with approval at the front clasp style Barbara chose.

The older woman's eyes narrowed. "Don't get any ideas. I've got to get _**some**_ work done today," she warned, getting a smirk from Helena, who sat on the edge of her bed.

"You know, you _**used**_ to encourage my independent thinking while I was growing up," Helena offered innocently.

"Well that's because I underestimated how dangerous that was. I know better now," Barbara said as she started to unbutton her shirt. She stopped, realizing how intently Helena was watching her. "Promise me, you'll stay right there," Barbara said, her eyes narrowing at Helena, whose eyes sparkled with mischief. "Promise," she repeated with warning.

"Ok!" Helena capitulated, sighing heavily.

Barbara eyed her a moment, then resumed her unbuttoning. Before she exposed herself, she stopped. "Turn around."

"What?" Helena said with an incredulous laugh.

"Turn around," Barbara said firmly.

"We've just had sex on the . . . ."

"Kitchen table, yes, I know. Now turn around or leave," Barbara said firmly.

"You don't trust me?" Helena said in a weak voice, causing Barbara to look up and see her lover's shoulders sag.

"Helena," Barbara said explained gently, "I don't trust myself. I really would like to fit work in sometime today and I find you are a distraction - a wonderful distraction - but a distraction, none-the-less."

Helena nodded with a sigh and turned as requested. After a moment, she peeked over her shoulder at Barbara to find her dressed again. She hopped off the bed.

"I guess the honeymoon is over already, huh?" Helena said with a sigh, dejectedly glancing at Barbara then her feet.

"Helena," Barbara said with concern, getting Helena to look up hopefully. A little too hopefully, she noted. "That's not going to work," she warned.

Helena looked at her with feigned surprise, then smirked. "Damn."

"You are incorrigible." Barbara rolled past her and headed towards Delphi with a small smile on her lips. Helena was certainly good for her ego, she considered.

"Yeah," Helena agreed with a chuckle. "I was thinking . . .." Helena offered as she walked up behind Barbara, who groaned.

"Helena, _**please**_ tell me you have something other than sex on your mind," she said, rolling up to the keyboard.

"Of course," Helena said, looking at her with a wounded expression.

"Hel, I'm so…."

"Lingerie. Sex. Food. Sex. Clothing. Sex," she said, crossing her arms as if she proved her point. "And of course, kicking ass," Helena said as an afterthought.

"Of course…" Barbara said flatly and typed on the keyboard.

Delphi alarmed.

"Thank god," Barbara muttered, making Helena chuckle.

"I was in the mood to kick some ass now anyway."

Barbara shook her head and reviewed the information on the screen. "I'm afraid you may not get to do that. There was an explosion in the warehouse district. Daley Imports."

"What does Daley Imports import?"

"Furniture," Barbara answered, recalling the newspaper article she almost finished this morning.

"Must be pretty ugly furniture if someone wants to blow it up," Helena noted.

"Could you go check it out?" Barbara looked up.

"On my way," Helena said, taking a step towards the balcony.

"Helena," Barbara called out firmly, causing the younger woman to stop and turn back towards her.

"Yeeees?" Helena asked playfully.

"Uh . . . be careful?" Barbara said uncomfortably, feeling a little foolish. The big smile she received relieved her; Helena didn't mind her sudden bout of over-protectiveness.

"I will," Helena said with a wink and was gone in a blur.

**/BoP\**

Helena looked down from a building top, adjacent to the burned warehouse. She normally preferred evening sweeps because she had the advantage of seeing in the dark and didn't have to worry as much about being seen. But now she was thinking that spending her nights indoors, with Barbara, would be far more fun.

"Oracle, the fire department has just left the scene. I'm going to see if there is anything interesting left inside."

"_Understood," Oracle said._

Helena jumped across the rooftops and landed on the edge of the burned building. Peering down inside, she cringed and coughed at the acrid odor. "Man it stinks!"

"_What does it smell like?" Oracle asked, knowing Helena's olfactory sense was far more sensitive than a human's. _

"A burned building?" Helena said with a wince, looking at the mess.

"_Can you smell any unusual chemicals? Accelerants or . . . anything else?"_

"Let me guess - you are thinking they are importing something more than just ugly furniture," Helena said, her interest piqued. Perhaps there would be some ass kicking after all.

"_I don't know, just a hunch.__There is an increase in drug trafficking and the police don't know how they are getting into the city."_

"I'm gonna get closer to see if I smell something funky," she said, glancing down the hole in the roof to the beam sticking out on the other side of the room, about half-way down. Perfect, she thought and jumped down to the beam 20 feet below.

"Whoa . . . ooff cra…" she said, as she hit the wall just above the beam and fell backwards towards the floor, her arms flailing.

"_Huntress?" Oracle called with concern, hearing a crash and a groan._

Huntress blinked, laying flat on her back, staring up at the hole. _That hurt._

"_Huntress!"_

She slowly stood on wobbly feet. "I found . . . a quick way down," Helena wheezed between coughs, her hands resting on her knees as she hunched over, trying to get her breath back. She peered up with a frown at the beam that seemed to be mocking her.

"_What happened?"_

"I fell. But I'm OK now. I'll get some samples and be back home before you know it" Huntress said, still coughing. "I think I smell some accelerant."

**/BoP\**

"Training room. Now!" Barbara ordered when Helena entered from the balcony, surprising the younger crime fighter.

"Yes, ma'am," Helena said with curious amusement as she followed behind Barbara, who rolled into the training room with great purpose. When Barbara got like that, Helena knew just to go along with it. "I have the samples," Helena offered, pulling the package of small vials from her dusty duster with a small cough. Even duller human senses could tell she had been in a smoke-damaged building.

"Sit," Barbara said, ignoring the vials offered to her.

"I don't respond well to dog commands, Barbara," Helena said tersely, placing the pack of vials on the first aid cart by the training table.

Barbara exhaled with irritation and tried again. "Would you please sit so I can have a look at you?"

"Sure, you can always have a look at me, Red," Helena said, wiggling her eyebrows as she peeled off her duster.

"You fell," Barbara stated with unflappable focus as Helena hopped up on the table.

"Yeah. Tore the blouse but . . . eh. I really didn't like it that much anyway," she said dismissively, pulling at the garment in the torn area by her stomach absently. "At least my duster is no worse for the wear. Well, except for the smell," she said, sniffing it with a frown.

"Helena, why did you fall?" Barbara asked tensely.

Helena looked at her and shrugged. "I jumped and misjudged the distance, pretty stupid I know," she said with mild embarrassment.

"You don't misjudge distances, Helena," Barbara responded firmly.

"Why are you making a federal case out of it? I jumped, went boom, and got up," Helena said with a shrug.

"Are you feeling all right? Any dizziness?" Barbara said, shining a pen flashlight into Helena's eyes.

She blinked and pushed the hand away. "No," she said with annoyance.

"Did you feel dizzy before you jumped?" Barbara persisted.

"No, I didn't. Why are you so worked up over this, Barbara?" Helena asked, causing Barbara to look at her with worry.

"0.4 seconds, Hel," Barbara said quietly, succinctly crystallizing the reason for her fear. When Helena's human side recombined with her meta side, the process was cut short by 0.4 seconds when the Metaphasic Z-particle Translocator, or "Meta-zapper thingy" as Helena called it, blew up.

"I feel great, Barbara," Helena countered with irritation, not willing to believe that after she finally got that brass ring, it was going to be stolen from her by a lousy 0.4 seconds.

The assertion did not remove the worried look on the redhead's face.

"Do you want a blood sample?" Helena asked, but already knew the answer.

"I . . . yes," Barbara said uneasily.

**/BoP\**

After several tests and retests, Barbara exhaled with some relief. "The nucleotide bonds are stable," Barbara finally announced. She once again seriously thought about going to church to give thanks. She didn't know what she would do if Helena was unstable again, wishing she knew what that missing 0.4 seconds meant to Helena.

"And I feel good. Really good," Helena offered, pulling up a chair and straddling it. She looked at Barbara with concern.

"You think I'm overreacting," Barbara said with worry.

"I know the merging was cut short - but we can't let those 0.4 seconds stop us from enjoying what we have right now. I feel great and intend to live a long life with you, Barbara Gordon. There are so many places we haven't had sex yet. We're going to need a LOT of time," Helena admitted with a twinkle in her eyes.

Barbara couldn't help but chuckle, oddly touched by Helena's comment.

"Like . . . on Delphi here," Helena continued conversationally as she stood and went towards the desk area next to the keyboard, pushing down to test the weight.

"Helena," Barbara warned sternly.

"All right, all right. We can have dinner first. I'll take you on a real, no kidding date tonight. Then we can have sex here," Helena said with enthusiasm, pointing to the spot.

"I hate to burst your bubble, sweetie, but we're having dinner with Dad tonight," Barbara said.

"When did that happen?" Helena asked with surprise.

"After you left for the warehouse, Dad called. Uh, you don't mind do you?" Barbara asked with sudden concern, eyeing Helena with a wince. Being a couple was still new to her; well, being with someone she actually worried about upsetting with her occasional tendency for unilateral decisions was new to her.

"Nah. I like your old man," Helena said with a smile. "And he does have a pretty nice, quiet library, doesn't he?" She asked waggling her eyebrows.

"Helena! His house is off limits," she warned.

"Party pooper."

* * *

TBC – Chapter 2


	2. Chapter 2 - Dinner with Dad

**Primal Instinct II: ****0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 2 - Dinner with Dad**

"I can't believe we are late," Barbara said tersely as she pulled the Humvee into her father's driveway.

Helena wisely kept quiet but nodded. She didn't think Jim was too concerned from the phone call she made to inform him they were running a bit behind. In fact, he always seemed like an easy going fellow; contrary to his stressed daughter, who drove like a banshee down Gotham Parkway. Of course, Helena knew better than to criticize her lover's driving at the moment…or ever.

As they approached the front door, Barbara blurted "we are _**forty-five**_ minutes late," as if Helena needed to be reminded of their tardiness one more time.

Once again exercising great wisdom, or just innate survival skills, Helena nodded and remained silent, suspecting any attempt to defend her innocence would not be well received. But really, could she be blamed for wandering into Barbara's shower and offering to help wash all her nooks and crannies? Barbara could have said no….

Before Helena could ring the doorbell, the front door opened and a gray-haired man stepped out to greet them. "Barbara!" Jim Gordon said with a smile and leaned down to kiss his daughter's cheek.

"Dad . . . sorry we're late," Barbara said uncomfortably, casting a sharp glance at Helena, who winced.

"No worries, Honey. Helena, good to see you again," he said with a genuine warmth that made Helena smile. "Come inside and make yourselves at home. Helena, you know where the bar is. Help yourself to anything you want," he said graciously, stepping back as Helena smirked with amusement and glanced at Barbara with mischief in her eyes, clearly communicating her want.

The narrow green eyes of warning wiped the smirk off Helena's face. Oh joy, Helena thought with a heavy sigh, suspecting it was going to be a long night.

"B…Barbara?" A dark-haired man greeted her with a delighted smile as she rolled into the living room.

"Daniel?" Barbara said with surprise. "Oh my God! How long has it been?" She asked with a smile. An awfully friendly smile, Helena noted as she eyed Barbara, then the guest.

"S..Senior year in college, if I r…recall correctly," Daniel said with a grin and quickly leaned down to kiss Barbara…on the lips. Barbara tensed and gently patted his chest to push him away with an awkward smile, not needing to see Helena's annoyed gaze.

"Anyone want a drink?" Helena suddenly blurted with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I wouldn't . . . mind one," Daniel said with a smile.

"Sure thing, Danny boy," Helena said, swiftly going to the bar, taking some small, entirely inappropriate pleasure in the man's slight speech impediment.

"Uh, Helena Kyle, this is Dr. Curtis Daniel Connors, an old college friend," Barbara formally introduced him with a weak smile as she glanced between the two. "Daniel, Helena," she said.

"A _**doctor**_?" Helena said with a tight smile, acting impressed. Of course he was.

"Not just a doctor, but a surgeon and war hero," Jim amplified helpfully, smiling at his daughter as Daniel blushed.

"Hero is going a bit far, J…Jim. I was just in the reserves," Daniel countered self-consciously.

"Nonsense, you helped our boys over in Iraq, got wounded and kept going," Jim said with admiration.

"Wow, Daniel. I'm glad you're all right. Thank you for your service," Barbara said with a warm smile.

He shrugged, embarrassed a bit by the attention.

"So, Doc, name your poison . . . or I could pick it for you," Helena suggested with a glint in her eye, the fake smile still plastered on her face for the man that was not just a doctor, but a surgeon and _**war**_ hero. Of course he was, she considered, her irritation amplifying ten-fold.

"Surprise me," Daniel said with a grin, placing a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "Do you want s…something, Babs?"

Barbara glanced at Daniel's unwanted hand on her shoulder with a slight frown; for a man whose livelihood depended on his hands, he wasn't very careful with them. She eyed his hand more closely, noting he was in serious need of moisturizer.

"Yeah . . . _**Babs**_. What would you like?" Helena said airily with a smile, considering taking Dr. Hero Lips up on his request.

An aspirin and world peace, Barbara considered. Or at least no "accidents" in her father's house this evening, she silently amended. "Nothing, thank you, Hel. You know I'm driving."

"Always the c…conscientious one, aren't you Babs?" Daniel smiled as he accepted the drink from Barbara's friend. "Thanks," he said and took a sip. "This is _**good**_, what is it?"

"Suffering bastard," Helena offered with a satisfied smile. Barbara rolled her eyes.

"I've heard of them, never had one before. It's really good, th…thanks," he said with a grateful smile and took another sip.

The doorbell rang. "Ah! There he is," Jim said happily and winked at Helena, who eyed him curiously as he briskly went to the door.

"Mr. Gordon, I'm so sorry I'm late but …"

"Carl's always late," Daniel muttered with a disapproving sigh, looking at his watch. Barbara eyed him curiously then focused on the door and the new arrival.

"Sorry, Commissioner, the time just…" Carl said apologetically.

"No need to apologize, son," Jim quickly interjected. "Come in, come in," he said happily, placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, and ushered him into his home.

"Helena?" Jim said with a grin. "I'd like you to meet someone. Carl Tucker, this is Helena Kyle, a good friend of my daughter's."

A very handsome, blond-haired man approached her with clear interest. His face had a boyish quality but this was no boy.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Helena," he smoothly said with an agreeable tenor, reaching out and taking Helena's hand. "Jim has told me all about you," he said with a disarming grin.

"Oh? That isn't necessarily a good thing," Helena warned with an amused smile.

"Trust me, it was all good," he said with a chuckle.

"So Babs, h...how've you been?" Daniel said uncomfortably, noting how Barbara's attention was now fixed on the blond Adonis as he pulled Helena's hand to his lips and kissed it gallantly.

He didn't even know her and was _**kissing**_ her hand! Barbara's eyes narrowed.

The night was turning out to be more and more interesting, Helena considered, feeling Barbara's eyes on her.

"Barbara?" Daniel asked again with a slight frown.

"Uh…I've been . . . good," Barbara said absently, finding the Adonis' enthusiastic smile and Helena's smirk very . . . annoying.

"Still teaching?" Daniel asked with a shy smile for his former college girlfriend.

"Hmmm?"

"S...Still teaching?" he asked again, mildly annoyed that his handsome friend was once again stealing a beautiful woman's attention away.

"I am," she said firmly, forcing herself to pay attention to her old friend. But it was rather hard as Helena laughed at something Carl had said.

The maid came out and nodded to Jim. "Dinner is ready, everyone," Jim said happily.

**/BoP\**

The Gordon home was built from many years of hard work and with much love. It exuded warmth, Helena had always thought. Though at the moment, she felt a distinct chill in the air as she glanced over to Barbara, who would occasionally glance over the dining room table at her with displeasure. Helena frowned. She wasn't the one who let an old boyfriend kiss her on the lips in front of her new lover! And she certainly wasn't the one to invite the Brad Pitt wannabe….

"So, Jim tells me you are a bartender," Carl said with a charming smile and sipped his wine.

"I am," Helena said with a slight smile.

"I'd go out clubbing a lot more if I knew there was someone as beautiful as you tending bar," he said smoothly.

Barbara rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her tea.

"Where do you work?" Carl asked.

"The Dark Horse," Helena said and added with a smirk ". . . and wherever I'm needed." Helena sipped her wine as Barbara sighed and tried to pay attention to Daniel, who was droning on about…. What _**was**_ he droning on about?

Confusion briefly flickered across Carl's face before he let the odd response pass and smiled. "I'll have to stop by sometime," he said.

"It's a public establishment," Helena offered with a grin. "So, you said you are a lawyer? Must be fascinating work," she said with an easy smile.

"Well, it's a living and it pays well. It allows me the means to give back to the community. I work with troubled kids at the Tucker House. That's where Jim and I initially met. Daniel also volunteers," he said with a warm smile, glancing over to his friend, who smiled weakly, noting with disappointment how his former girlfriend kept looking at the striking blonde and his equally striking companion.

"You're _**the**_ Tucker of Tucker House?" Helena asked with genuine interest.

The information also begrudgingly impressed Barbara, who glanced over at the two again and then curiously to her father, who winked at her and returned to listening to Carl and Helena.

Jim seemed pleased, Barbara noted.

"Actually, that's my grandfather," Tucker said with a grin.

A bit too pleased, Barbara considered as her eyes narrowed suspiciously at her father, who had set them up – _**right**_ after she told him it was over with Wade. She hated being ambushed. She hated the way Carl was practically drooling over Helena. Although, she really couldn't blame him; Helena did look really hot in that blue silk blouse and those tight leather pants. Taking a sip of tea, Barbara absently calculated the trajectory and force needed to render the blond guest unconscious with her batarang.

Helena glanced over the handsome blonde, then to the amazing redhead, who was her life . . . and after tonight, possibly her death if the annoyance in those green eyes were any indication. Didn't Barbara know there is no competition? Helena met those green eyes head on and made a barely perceptible face of irritation and questioning shrug at Barbara's irritation. The message of "what do you want me to do?" was received; irritation faded as Barbara's gaze dropped with mild embarrassment for her insecurities.

"So are you…s…seeing anyone?" Daniel ventured awkwardly. Barbara almost choked on her tea. Helena's gaze shifted to Daniel and narrowed as she wondered how high he'd bounce after she tossed him off the roof.

"Yes," Barbara said and cleared her throat, getting a confused look from Jim and a look of disappointment from her old college friend. Helena exhaled with relief but remained silent, knowing Barbara hadn't told her father about them yet.

"Honey, I thought it was finally over with you and Wade," Jim said with confusion recalling her surprising, but not unwelcome phone call.

Feeling all eyes on her, Barbara nodded and said uncomfortably "It is over with Wade."

"I don't understand. Who are you seeing now?" He asked, dumbfounded she would have found someone else so quickly.

"You know, Mr. Gordon, I don't think Barbara was expecting an audience when she told you," Helena quickly offered, seeing how uncomfortable her lover was. Barbara looked at her gratefully, knowing Helena would always come to her rescue.

Jim Gordon blanched, looking even more uncomfortable than Barbara, or Daniel. "I'm so sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean, I mean, I never meant to embarrass you," he sputtered, clearly distressed. His daughter was always tight-lipped about her emotions. He was relieved when she actually informed him she just broke up with Wade. He always knew that man wasn't a good match for his daughter; Wade never did bring that special sparkle to her eyes. But Jim still worried his perfectionist daughter would be upset about a failed relationship, regardless how wrong it was. He thought Daniel would be good distraction and good for her ego. Apparently, her ego had bounced back quite nicely … and quickly, he frowned in confusion.

"It's OK, Dad. You couldn't have known. I'm just sorry Daniel and Carl came out here for nothing," Barbara said sincerely, glancing over the two guests apologetically.

Jim's brow rose curiously.

"I wouldn't say for nothing, Barbara. It's always g…good to catch up with old friends and spending an evening in the c…company of beautiful women can hardly be a waste of time," Daniel said, not so subtly glancing over at Helena with new interest.

Helena smirked at Barbara, who rolled her eyes, reminded of why their college fling never grew serious.

Jim Gordon looked at his daughter then Helena curiously. The former police commissioner seemed to be the only one to notice Barbara had said Carl was wasting his time too.

"So Helena, are you also seeing someone?" Jim ventured, unable to help himself.

"Dad," Barbara interjected uncomfortably, realizing her slip, which was compounded by her faint blush as Jim glanced between the two women and comprehension filled his face.

"I am, Mr. Gordon, and it's serious. Sorry, Carl, but I'm not looking," Helena said with an apologetic smile.

"Damn," Carl said good-naturedly. Daniel sighed.

**/BoP\**

In the family room after dinner, Carl, Helena, and Daniel were engrossed in a discussion as Helena and Daniel were playing billiards. Barbara sat listening half-heartedly, feeling the gaze of her father on her.

"Barbara, would you mind joining me in the study for a moment?" Jim asked, getting a startled look from the redhead.

Helena looked up from her shot and eyed Barbara curiously, silently offering help. Barbara smiled warmly, appreciating her support, but shook her head no.

"Sure, Dad," she said.

**/BoP\**

Jim Gordon watched his daughter roll into the study and was surprised to see how nervous she was.

"Barbara, you are acting like you are guilty of something. Are you ashamed you are seeing Helena?" He bluntly asked.

"Ashamed?!" She sputtered incredulously, her nerves suddenly gone. "I'm _**in**_ _**love**_ with her, Dad."

"In love," he said skeptically.

"Yes," she said with a smile of amazement, then eyed him as she elaborated. "A love that I _never_ expected to experience - even before the shooting. But somehow it happened, and it is so intense it . . . scares the hell out of me," she offered honestly, surprising herself. "But I'm not going to let my fear or anyone, even _**you**_, get in the way of what I have with Helena," she announced to her father, who stood there silently looking at her, his face unreadable.

Barbara wished he would say something but he just stared at her in challenge. The stare contest was interrupted when Helena looked in on them.

"You OK in there, Red?" Helena called softly from the doorway. Jim lifted his eyebrow, glancing at Helena then his daughter.

Barbara took a deep breath, comforted by Helena's presence. "I'm all right, Helena," she said, looking at her with a small smile.

Glancing between the stern-faced father and weakly smiling daughter, Helena wasn't so sure.

"So if I disapproved, you would still see Helena and ignore my wishes?" Jim asked pointedly.

Helena felt like she had just been kicked in the gut, not having anticipated such a blunt question for Barbara. She had a horrible relationship with her own father and wouldn't give a rat's ass for what Bruce Wayne thought. But Barbara had a great respect and love for Jim. Her intimate relationship with Barbara was so new; how could it survive Jim Gordon's disapproval? Helena felt sick with dread.

"Do you disapprove?" Barbara challenged, eyeing him.

_Oh God._Helena swallowed hard.

"You didn't answer my question," Jim said.

_Oh God, oh God. _Helena thought with panic.

"Helena is everything to me, Dad. Your approval or disapproval wouldn't change anything," Barbara said boldly.

Helena let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She started to wish she hadn't had that second helping of cheesecake.

"Really? How about other people who disapprove? There are many out there who don't approve of homosexuality and don't have a problem saying so - or making things difficult for you two," he said sternly. "Is this," he said, motioning to Helena, who frowned, "really worth it?"

Barbara's tenseness suddenly evaporated and a big smile filled her face. Helena looked between Jim and Barbara, wondering what she missed. The man was still not smiling and apparently unhappy about this romantic development.

"Yes, Dad. Helena's worth it."

Jim looked at Helena, who looked around the room uncomfortably. "Come here, Helena."

Helena looked at Barbara, who was still smiling.

"You look nervous, Helena," Jim said, eyeing her as she stepped closer.

Helena found Jim Gordon to be an intimidating figure, even for being just a human. But then, Barbara was damn intimidating too.

"Uh . . . that would be because I am?" she said honestly, knowing there was no room for her cocky behavior when discussing her relationship with Barbara with her father. She glanced at Barbara, who just looked at her with love clearly shining in those green eyes. It was almost enough to calm her nerves.

"Why? Because you know you are doing something wrong?" Jim said gruffly, startling her.

Helena winced at his tone.

"Dad," Barbara said with annoyance.

"I'm nervous because I don't want to hurt Barbara. And your disapproval would do that."

"So you would walk away from her if I disapproved?" He asked, eyeing her closely.

Barbara frowned and started to object to her father's interrogation but stopped herself, curious to hear the answer.

Helena grimaced, feeling ill.

"I . . . If that is what _**Barbara**_ wanted, I would," Helena answered, clenching her sweating palms. "And it would kill me," she added in a whisper.

Barbara looked at Helena, feeling horrible for letting her father grill her. She turned to her father and took a breath to put a stop to it, but Helena continued.

" . . . Because I love her, Mr. Gordon, with everything that I am," she said more firmly, taking a fortifying breath. "I know I am not the ideal partner for your daughter in your eyes, or to probably most of New Gotham . . . or anyone on Earth. But loving Barbara is the one thing I **know** I've gotten right in my life," Helena said with conviction.

Jim briefly glanced to his daughter, who was looking at Helena with a gaze he had never witnessed before - not for any of her past suitors, before or after the shooting. Not even Dick Grayson, whom he really liked, had received that special gaze, reflecting joy and love that he had always prayed his daughter would experience. And when he finally witnessed that special gaze, it was for Helena Kyle of all people.

Though thinking about it, it was not that much of a surprise; Jim knew they had become close. After all, they had gone through hell together, both dealing with significant personal losses. They've seen each other at their bull-headed, temperamental, miserable worst - yet never gave up on each other. That counted for a lot in his book, he considered.

"I want to make her happy," Helena continued. "As happy as I am being with her. I'm just sorry you don't see this as a good thing," she said, glancing at Barbara, who looked at her with such love, it made her feel like she could take on the whole world…including Jim Gordon. "Because I know we are right for each other and . . . "

"You're wrong, Helena," Jim interjected firmly, crossing his arms over his chest, causing Helena to stand up a little taller; her relationship was being threatened and she was not going to stand idly by. "I . . ." he said.

"Mr. Gordon, with all due respect . . ." Helena started to argue.

"Helena!" he interjected sternly. "Don't interrupt me. Especially when I'm agreeing with you," Jim scolded, making her forcefully exhale in confusion.

Barbara bit her lip to not chuckle at Helena's perplexed face. She knew she was going to have to make this up to Helena. Fortunately, she anticipated both of them would enjoy it.

"I happen think you are the ideal partner for my daughter," he said gruffly, causing Helena to blink with surprise. "I should get back to the young men and console them on their losses. I wish I had known about you two before planning this dinner," Jim Gordon groused, briefly eyeing Barbara before he promptly left the two women in the study.

Barbara smiled, shaking her head. She noticed Helena staring at the door, looking a bit shell-shocked.

"Helena? Are you OK, sweetie?" Barbara asked with concern, rolling up and taking her hand.

"I don't ever want to go through that ever again," Helena said seriously, looking at Barbara, who had difficulty withholding an amused smile.

"You won't have to. We have his blessing, Hel," Barbara offered happily, stroking the back of Helena's hand with her thumb.

"He could have just _**said**_ that," Helena complained.

"He did," Barbara said, smiling broadly.

"Great," Helena said warily. "I'm soooo looking forward to our family dinners together," she grumbled sarcastically, causing Barbara to chuckle.

Barbara's chuckling stopped when she saw Helena go to the sofa and look at her expectantly with desire in her eyes. "No," Barbara said firmly.

"But we're alone," Helena argued, pushing down on the cushion to test it, and nodded with satisfaction.

"Off. Limits," Barbara said crisply and turned around, rolling away to join the guests with a heavy sigh.

"But you said we had his blessing!" Helena called out innocently, watching Barbara roll away, shaking her head. After a moment, she grinned and followed.

**/BoP\**

When the elevator doors opened, Helena politely motioned for Barbara to precede her. Without even a slight nod of acknowledgement, Barbara silently rolled out into the darkened Clock Tower. Helena bit her lip and followed, feeling Barbara's quiet tension all the way home. She knew it was her fault, having subtly teased Barbara with innuendo and "innocent" touches all night long - _after_ the horrifying interrogation at her father's house. She was probably in the doghouse for a while, she considered, but couldn't help the grin that formed as she recalled how amusing it was to watch the master of self-control squirm. She had offered several times to take care of Barbara's tension during the night and been met with a glare and an annoyed hiss that Jim's house was "off limits."

Watching Barbara silently roll up onto the dais and check on Delphi, Helena sighed. Yep. Definitely the doghouse, she considered, having endured her silent treatment since they left Jim's house. She sighed and went to the kitchen to make them tea and get a pack of pop tarts for herself and some cookies for Barbara. As she waited for the water to boil, she reviewed her actions with less and less amusement. Barbara fell silent when she was angry with her. She hated it when Barbara was angry with her. Even after Barbara had made it clear she was uncomfortable, she still had to go and tease and tempt her all evening.

Helena shut her eyes and let out an annoyed exhale.

Barbara deserved to be with someone who wouldn't resort to childish games, she thought with a frown. It wasn't Barbara's fault she had felt so . . . helpless and frightened. She was actually frightened she could lose the best, most important thing in her life, she considered honestly, glancing back at Barbara, who typed in something on her keyboard and reviewed the screens. But Barbara never gave her any reason to doubt her, especially when she saw the clear love in those green eyes - yet their intimate relationship was so new.

If she was honest, she had to admit she enjoyed flaunting their relationship in front of their would-be dates; she was certain they had watched each touch and caress with envy, knowing Barbara was hers. Well . . . until she screwed it up, she considered as her stomach tightened with worry.

The piercing whistle erupting from the boiling kettle made Helena cringe and quickly turn off the heat. She efficiently poured the water over the tea leaves and placed the teapot on a tray with two cups, two spoons, a bowl of lemon wedges, and container of honey, along with the pop tarts and cookies. Quietly, she returned to Barbara's side and poured her a cup of tea, not even getting a nod of thanks from the redhead, who kept reviewing the screens full of information.

Helena nodded absently to herself, realizing that a cup of tea was not going to undo what she had done at her father's house. She poured her own cup. After a few quiet seconds and sips of her tea, she pondered ways to apologize that would remove that tense scowl off of Barbara's face. Each idea was rejected as she concluded whatever she said would likely make her madder. How do you apologize for being an insecure, emotional idiot? Silence was probably the . . . .

Suddenly, Barbara rotated her chair to face Helena, whose eyes widened with surprise and hope . . . until the piercing green gaze captured her, making her uncertain. Helena blinked and dropped her eyes guiltily. "Look, Barbara, I'm . . .." Helena started but was interrupted when she was yanked into Barbara's lap and pulled into a rough, wet kiss. Helena moaned when Barbara broke the kiss and possessively bit down on her neck, hard.

Between bites and licks, Barbara said "If you ever torment me like that again, I swear to GOD I won't be responsible for my actions," she growled menacingly as her hand tugged at Helena's blouse, pulling it free from her pants to allow her hands unfettered access to her smooth, bare skin.

Helena wisely elected not to inform Barbara that her warning sounded more like a promise.

"Sit there," Barbara husked, glancing at the open desk space next to her keyboard.

Helena didn't have to be asked twice; she jumped up from her lap and sat down on the smooth, cool surface. Barbara immediately positioned herself between her legs as her hands reached for Helena's zipper. After several frantic and clumsy motions, Helena's shoes and pants were on the floor. Barbara exhaled heavily, appreciating that Helena had gone commando as her hands slowly moved up and down the lean thighs.

"Barbara, please," Helena hissed, the touch so close, yet so far. Her hands gripped the edge of the table as touch became slower and more deliberate. Deliberately teasing, which Helena had to admit was poetic justice . . . or perhaps just simple payback.

Barbara's thumbs moved to just outside her outer lips, which were so very wet.

When Helena saw Barbara lean in, she shut her eyes in anticipation. She heard Barbara inhale, taking in her strong scent of arousal before exhaling with satisfaction. Her warm breath teased her sensitive flesh. "Please," Helena whispered in growing desperation, rewarded with a warm tongue caressing the inside of her thigh. "God," she hissed, feeling the nearly painful arousal increase. The tongue was replaced by teeth, which gently nibbled her flesh, ignoring the particular bundle of nerves that was desperate for her attention. Helena gripped the table harder.

"Do you know," Barbara said, moving her attention to the other thigh. "How aroused," she said and gently bit the flesh "… you made me tonight?" She trailed her tongue closer to Helena's apex. "How much," she said, breathing over her bundle of nerves, causing a whimper from the younger woman. "I wanted you?!" Barbara said before her warm mouth finally took possession of her core. Her tongue penetrated the drenched lips, lapping up the clear and abundant evidence of Helena's need.

"Uh!" Helena blurted, her world becoming very small and focused on the expert mouth provoking sensation after sensation, getting so close. "God," she whispered as she started to peak, the moisture continuing to flow from her. When she felt her sex start to clench in orgasm, two fingers replaced the tongue, diving deeper within, stroking that perfect place with great purpose and prompting Helena to loudly moan.

After the waves of release settled into a pleasant tingle, Helena released her grip on the table and tenderly caressed the red head, now resting her cheek against her thigh as she slowly and lovingly continued her intimate strokes. "Jesus," Helena said incredulously as her arousal slowly grew again. Barbara smiled and kissed her thigh and sat up, looking expectantly into Helena's golden eyes.

Helena leaned down, slipping her hand behind Barbara's head and coaxing her into a slow, deliberate kiss that matched Barbara's deliberate motions within her. As her second climax took her, their foreheads touched, Helena's hand slipped down to Barbara's neck, which she stroked tenderly.

Both women suddenly stopped all motion, except to glance at the elevator when they heard a "ding."

**/BoP\**

About twenty minutes after the elevator ding, Barbara rolled into her bedroom and found Helena sitting on the bed in cutoff sweatpants and an oversized football shirt, her usual bed wear . . . when she actually wore pajamas.

"It was Dinah," Barbara informed her, rolling into the bathroom. Helena nodded and silently followed her. "You OK?" Barbara asked the subdued woman with mild amusement, knowing there were many benefits to Helena's meta-human abilities, including the one just demonstrated - her rapid exodus from Delphi with pants in hand.

Helena nodded again.

As she grabbed a toothbrush and put paste on it, she heard Helena sigh.

"You sure?" Barbara asked curiously, noting the odd mood from her lover. After a few moments of brushing her teeth, Helena finally blurted, "I keep screwing up, don't I?"

Barbara stopped brushing and looked at her with surprise. "What do you mean?" she mumbled, then spit out the toothpaste and wiped her mouth on a towel.

"I ruin your underwear . . . and the dishes, make us late for your father's, embarrass you in front of your old college friend and his buddy," Helena said softly, handing her a folded nightshirt.

"Hel…" Barbara said with concern, absently glancing down at the nightshirt. Shaking her head, she started to comment but Helena continued.

"I promise, I'll try to think before acting, think about more than instant gratification. You deserve someone who can be mature…for more than five minutes," Helena said self-consciously.

Barbara could not fathom where this sudden insecurity came from. She was the one who almost got them caught by Dinah in a very compromising situation. Granted the evening at her father's with Helena's constant . . . attention . . . was a challenge, but Helena was only doting on her and took every opportunity to flirt, which Helena had developed into a fine art. She had to admit that it was rather amusing to see the envious look on the two dinner guests' faces, knowing they had no chance with someone as amazing as Helena – even if her own lack of resistance to Helena's charms got her so hot and bothered. The subtle, knowing smirk on her father's face was the only thing that enabled her to not violate her own rule that her father's house was off limits.

Thinking about earlier in the day, she realized guiltily that she had placed all the blame on Helena for them being late to her father's; she could have declined Helena's offer to wash all her nooks and crannies before they left. Well, _**maybe**_, Barbara had to admit, biting her lip, knowing resisting Helena Kyle would always be difficult for her, which added to her irritation about her own lack of control.

"I can do better. I _will_ do better," Helena added firmly.

"Hel, would you stop?" Barbara said with frustration.

"I can stop. I _will_ stop," Helena added dejectedly, her eyes dropping.

"Sweetie," Barbara said, rolling towards her and firmly taking her hand. "I would agree that we need to be more careful when we . . . get amorous . . . but it takes _**two**_ to tango…or mambo, as the case may be," she said with a wry smile. "You are not the only one who gets lost in the moment. I could never have imagined that I could want someone so much I'd forget about _**everything**_else," Barbara softly admitted with both amazement and irritation, greatly relieving Helena, who was afraid Barbara had been angry with her for not exercising better control. "But we both need to be…."

"More careful," Helena whispered, looking down at their hands as Barbara squeezed hers, then up into green eyes she would never tire of gazing into. As unlikely as it was, this amazing, brilliant woman really loved her, Helena Kyle, a bartender, with only a high school diploma . . . barely.

Barbara smiled and silently lifted her arms, requesting a rare lift to their bed. A surprised Helena hesitated only a second before lifting her lover in her arms.

As Helena carried her, she knew she was the luckiest person on Earth. They looked into each other's eyes as Barbara's hand lovingly caressing her cheek, the touch reaffirming their connection. With great care, Helena lowered Barbara onto the bed and slowly helped her undress. Their motions were unhurried, each enjoying the intimate task. A button undone, a gentle caress, another button released, a tender kiss, a shoe and its partner removed, fingers leisurely raking through dark hair . . . .

Much later, happily spent and lying in a warm embrace, Barbara could not ignore the cool evening air on her exposed skin; she shivered slightly. Helena shifted and pulled up the sheets, covering her back. "Thank you, sweetie," Barbara said, happily shifting back into her warm embrace.

"You're welcome," Helena said simply, kissing her temple and briefly hugging her more tightly. Each woman sighed contentedly before settling into a deep sleep.

* * *

TBC in Chapter 3


	3. Chapter 3 - Gravity

**Primal Instinct II:**

**0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Gravity**

In the training room the next morning, Dinah glared at Helena, who had just dumped her on her ass for the third time. "You know, I _**really**_ don't see what training value I'm getting out of this," Dinah complained, finding Helena to be unusually annoying this sparring session.

Helena had been barraging her with trash talk during their entire session. She looked at her opponent who was on the floor again and tilted her head curiously. "Maybe we should rename you _**Matt**_."

Dinah growled and got up on her feet. She focused on her extremely annoying opponent and charged, her anger clouding her senses. She was once again tossed on the floor.

"Dinah! You know how to avoid that leg sweep. You can't let my taunting get to you!" Helena said with disapproval.

"You are _**deliberately**_ being annoying?" Dinah asked with irritation.

"Well, duh. I can't believe you didn't notice," Helena said, walking over to the water cooler and taking a paper cup from the dispenser.

"Well, you _are_ usually pretty annoying," Dinah said thoughtfully.

"Careful, Blondie. Let's try it again," Helena said, finishing her cup and tossing it into the wastebasket. "You know, when we taunt the criminals, it's not just to amuse ourselves; we want to distract them and make them mad so they make mistakes. You can't let yourself fall into the same trap. You let yourself get emotional and that becomes a problem."

"You get emotional sometimes," Dinah countered, causing Helena to look at her sharply.

Helena exhaled with irritation. "Yeah. But I expect you to be better than me," Helena said, surprising the younger crime fighter.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You have way more control and experience than I did at your age. And you have only just tapped into your powers. And I don't think you understand the full extent of them yet," Helena said honestly. "BUT…."

"There's always a but," the teen bemoaned.

"But, speaking from experience, emotions can give you unusual strength and focus - or be crippling. Right now, you are letting them cripple you."

Dinah looked at Helena thoughtfully. "I understand but I'm not sure how to stop that," she admitted.

"Recognizing your opponent's tactic is the first step," Helena offered. "That's for sure," she grumbled, recalling her previous evening with Jim Gordon. Barbara had sworn that Jim had always grilled her dates to see if they were worth his daughter's attentions. If they couldn't stand up to a little grilling, then they were unsuitable. Helena shivered at the memory of the uncomfortable encounter.

"So how did dinner go with Mr. Gordon last night?" Dinah said, going over to the weapons rack and picking up a staff.

"Are you reading me or something?!" Helena accused uneasily.

Dinah's eyes widened. "NO! And if I picked something up it would be by accident – I would never intentionally violate someone's…." she blurted quickly.

"Chill, D. Just asking; I was thinking about it and you asked…so," Helena said with a shrug, getting a relieved nod from the teen.

"So, how'd the dinner go?"

"I think I'd rather dine with Arkham inmates. I'd at least know where I stand."

"Huh?"

"Mr. Gordon was being . . . he didn't seem happy about my relationship with Barbara."

"Uh-oh." Dinah bit her lip, knowing how close Barbara was to her father.

"He knew Barbara had just broken up with Wade, so he set us up with dates," Helena said with a grimace.

"Oh. My. God," Dinah said in horror, then eagerly asked "Were they cute?"

Helena crossed her arms and glared at her, prompting a wince and mumbled "sorry."

"When her "date" asked her if she was seeing someone, Barbara said yes but didn't want an audience when she told him about us. But Mr. Gordon put the pieces together. He _was_ the police commissioner, you know," Helena explained with a shrug.

"Well it's not too hard, considering how you two look at each other," Dinah countered, unimpressed.

"Barbara says we have his blessing," Helena said with a skeptical frown, scratching the back of her head.

"She would know, right?"

"That's what she tells me. OK, get into position," Helena said.

Dinah held her staff at the ready. Before Helena took her position, Dinah attacked, hoping to secure an advantage. Helena quickly ducked and easily jumped over her, out of the way of the surprise attack.

Helena's eyes widened as she descended with flapping arms, squarely on top of the weapons rack, causing a loud crash.

"Helena!"

"Owwww! Jesus!" Helena said, gingerly picking herself off the pointy objects.

"Are you all right?" Dinah asked with concern, going to her side to help.

"What is going on?" Barbara asked, rolling into the training room having heard the commotion. "Helena?"

"You know D, that really wasn't very sporting of you," Helena grumbled, rubbing her sore backside.

"What happened?" Barbara asked again with a heavy sigh. She did not like having to repeat herself.

"I ah…attacked before she got into position," Dinah said guiltily. Barbara frowned and looked between them, then at the weapons rack and weapons now scattered across the floor.

"It's ok, D. I've been egging you on the whole session. I really can't blame you for wanting an advantage," Helena said, now rubbing her sore butt.

"I am sorry," Dinah said with a wince.

"It's all right. But you still need to learn better control," Helena lectured, getting a quick nod from Dinah.

"Uh, maybe I should take a shower now," Dinah said, noting Barbara focused intently on Helena. Not wanting to pick up on any more intimate thoughts from the two, like last night when she had returned home, she quickly left.

"Hel?" Barbara asked hesitantly.

"She's going to be really good," Helena said softly, glancing where the young woman left. "But don't you dare tell her that; she'll get a swelled head and she's already an annoying teenager," Helena complained.

"Hel, why did you crash into the weapons rack?" Barbara asked uneasily.

"She surprised me?" Helena responded slowly, knowing that Barbara had heard Dinah's explanation.

"You just don't misstep like that, Helena. Even when surprised," Barbara said emphatically.

"More blood?" Helena said with a sigh, hating needles. Barbara nodded and rolled towards the medical station for syringes.

/BoP\

"The nucleotide bonds are stable," Barbara announced once again, looking up from her console at Delphi as Helena pulled a rolling chair up next to her and straddled it.

"You really are worried about me," Helena said softly.

"There are 0.4 seconds of remerging that did not occur," Barbara blurted in frustration, pulling off her glasses with annoyance. Glancing at Helena who nodded in understanding, she sighed guiltily; it wasn't Helena's fault. "I'm sorry if I seem to be over . . .."

Barbara was interrupted by a gentle kiss.

"I'm not asking for an apology, Barbara. But I feel fine and the genetic bonds seem to be stable, so, whatever the 0.4 seconds did to me, I don't think it's necessarily bad."

"You've had balance issues twice now," Barbara countered. "And in our line of work…." She added gravely, not needing to finish the sentence.

Helena sighed wearily.

Barbara put a hand on Helena's shoulder, looking at her intently. "I can't lose you," she said with quiet desperation.

"Well if I have anything to say about that, you won't," Helena vowed, caressing Barbara's cheek before giving her another kiss . . . and another, more sensual kiss Helena hoped adequately conveyed how much Barbara meant to her.

"What's for . . . Whoa!?" Dinah said, halting her approach to Delphi when she observed the intimacy. "Should I go to Gabby's?"

"You are going to need to get used to seeing me kiss Barbara, D. Cause I'm not going to stop just because you are here," Helena announced, getting up from her chair and kissing Barbara chastely, making her smile.

"I'm not worried about that. I just don't want to be in the way . . . is all," Dinah said awkwardly as Helena walked towards her.

"Trust me, kid. If you were, I'd let you know," Helena said, putting her arm around her shoulder. "Let's see what's in the kitchen for dinner."

"Cool. But if there are only pop tarts, I get to choose the take-out place," Dinah said, looking at Barbara, who smiled and nodded.

"Deal," Helena said.

**/BoP\**

"You going to eat that?" Helena asked Dinah, pointing with her chopsticks to the last steamed dumpling that looked terribly lonely, all there by itself, in the container.

"For the sake of my limbs, I suppose I should answer . . . no?" Dinah said hesitantly, getting Barbara to shake her head in mild amusement as Helena grinned and expertly plucked the lone dumpling up and shoved it in her mouth.

After swallowing, Helena asked Barbara "Anything interesting from those warehouse samples?"

Barbara had almost forgotten about them. "C4."

"Ooooh. Someone reaaaaly didn't like that furniture," Helena said with a smirk.

"Why would someone want to blow up furniture?" Dinah asked with confusion.

"Because it's ugly," Helena readily offered as if obvious. The teen frowned as Barbara rolled her eyes.

"I suppose Helena's theory is possible," Barbara offered, prompting a grin from Helena. "Or there was an accident and the C4 unexpectedly blew," she added.

"The warehouse being a hideout?" Dinah asked.

"Possibly," Barbara said with a shrug.

"So we might have someone planning to blow another target up?" Dinah deduced.

"That's my guess," Barbara said.

"I'm sticking with the ugly furniture explanation," Helena offered dryly.

An alarm sounded, drawing their attention towards Delphi. Barbara immediately rolled back from the table and headed towards Delphi, closely followed by Dinah and Helena, who continued to eat out of the carton of fried rice with her chopsticks.

"There's been an explosion at New Gotham Federal Reserve."

"So much for the ugly furniture theory," Helena sighed with disappointment.

"The security cameras have been taken off line," Barbara said with minor irritation, ignoring Helena's comment as she proceeded to scan for the available feeds.

"The gold repository?" Dinah asked with interest.

"That is one function of the New Gotham Federal Reserve," Barbara offered, trying to bring up the security cameras from adjacent buildings.

"Hey, isn't bank furniture usually pretty ugly?" Helena asked with sudden interest, getting Dinah to glare at her. "What?" she asked innocently as Barbara sighed and pulled her glasses off.

"Come on, D. Let's go see if I'm right," Helena said, placing her Chinese food on the desk and balancing her chopsticks on top of the carton.

"Be . . ." Barbara called out, getting a grin from Helena as she and Dinah headed to the elevator.

"Careful," Helena finished for her. "Roger that, big O. And we will be," Helena said with a wink as she joined Dinah in the elevator.

"I'm driving," Dinah ventured with forced confidence and glanced uncertainly at Helena, who just stared at her. "Oh come on, Hel!" she complained as the doors shut.

Barbara chuckled to herself as she put her glasses on. Noting the carton with interest, she picked it and the chopsticks up. Grabbing the chopsticks off the top, she tapped the keyboard with a free finger, bringing up several more security cameras before opening the carton and nibbling on Helena's fried rice as she watched and waited.

**/BoP\**

"Oracle, we are on scene," Dinah announced softly, glancing over at Helena, who was scanning the adjacent rooftops and in particular, the Federal Reserve's, whose silent alarm was tripped.

"_Understood, Canary," Oracle acknowledged._

"I don't see any activity on the street bel . . . holy crap," Dinah said, seeing the seven-foot tall lizard-like creature emerge onto the bank building's roof from the maintenance stairwell, smashing through the door with its girth.

"_Canary, what do you see?" Oracle said tensely. "The video I have is very grainy," she said with a disapproving frown as she noted only a blurry form._

"A Godzilla wanna be," Canary said as the lizard guy searched the sky.

"It's ugly and it seems to have appropriated a few bars of gold," Huntress said, noting the bag it held, which appeared to be weighed down by something very heavy. Hearing a helicopter in the distance getting closer, she looked up and frowned, not seeing anything yet. She knew it would be really hard to chase a crook that went airborne.

"_I can't improve the resolution. Can you take a picture? I'd like to get some intel before you en…." Oracle requested, but was interrupted._

"Huntress!" Canary hissed with annoyance.

"_What's going on?!"_

"She's going after the big lizard without me," Canary said, whining.

_Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Perhaps you might go after her and back her up?" Oracle suggested conversationally._

"Uh, roger, Oracle," Dinah said uncomfortably before quickly following after Helena.

**/BoP\**

"Yo, Godzilla!" Huntress called out, landing next to the lizard man. "I didn't take you for a common thief," she taunted. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting the city from giant moths?"

The lizard eyed her a long moment. "Don't get in my way," he hissed in a gravelly voice, his tongue flicking out.

"Well, unfortunately for you, that's what I do," she countered, stepping towards him. "And may I just add, that tongue thing is pretty gross."

He turned and aimed his long, thick tail at her. She quickly jumped over it to avoid him. As she landed, she found herself unnervingly off-balance and hit the roof a bit unsteadily.

_Damn!_

Beginning to wonder if Barbara's concern had real merit, she ducked the massive tail that swiftly flew in her direction, successfully avoiding the fleshy battering ram. The large creature was surprisingly swift, she noted as the tail came at her again. She jumped and avoided it, but again landed awkwardly. _Crap! _ As Helena struggled to regain her balance, her eyes widened, surprised to see the tail swiftly coming towards her again.

"Fuc. . . ooof," she said as it hit her side, hard.

"Huntress!" Canary cried out as she saw her friend soar off the roof. As she started to run to the edge, the reptile criminal charged her.

"_Canary, what happened?" Oracle asked anxiously.__"Huntress?"_

Wind whooshed past her as she plummeted to the ground like a rock; Helena's arms and legs flailed with no effect. Frantically looking for something to grab onto and finding nothing, she quickly concluded this wasn't good.

Dinah cringed at the reptile running at her and suddenly created an electric blue protective field around herself. The tail whipped through the air and batted the telekinetic bubble off the top of the roof, causing it and its occupant to plummet down the side of the building.

"Ahhhhh," Canary cried out as she struggled to keep focused on her bubble, knowing it would be the only thing protecting her from the hard concrete below. But her thoughts of Helena and panic ruined her concentration and the bubble started to fade in and out.

"_Canary!" Oracle called out.__"Huntress, what's going on?!"_

As Dinah fell, she cringed, shutting her eyes, desperately trying to focus on her bubble, not her or Helena's body getting splattered on the sidewalk. But she couldn't seem to keep her bubble solid as fear overwhelmed her thoughts. Suddenly, she felt a jolt, far quicker and nowhere near the impact that she had expected from the ground. Her bubble vanished and she opened her confused eyes and fell a little more, into two arms that wrapped tightly around her. Before she could say anything, her eyes widened with concern, noticing the side of the building coming at them.

"Aggh!" Helena growled, twisting them so she would take the brunt of the impact on her back.

"Ooof!" Dinah expelled a pained breath when they collided into the wall and bounced off it, once again plummeting to the ground.

"Ugh," Helena groaned.

"Ahhh!" Dinah squeaked, seeing the ground rapidly come up. She closed her eyes and burrowed herself into Helena, willing a bubble to form around them. It didn't.

The wind swooshing past them slowed and Dinah felt them jerk to a stop. A moment passed, then another. Dinah hesitantly opened her eyes and saw that they were three feet above the ground.

Hovering!

"Hel?" Dinah asked hesitantly, not understanding what was happening.

Suddenly, they fell to the ground.

**/BoP\**

"Is she going to be OK?" Dinah asked nervously, biting her thumbnail as she looked at the injured Helena, who was very still in Barbara's bed. Dinah's left wrist was wrapped up; luckily it was only sprained. She shuddered thinking of how bad it could have been for them.

"Of course she is," Barbara said with a confidence she didn't truly possess. "She has a few broken ribs and a bad bruise on her back and shoulder and a minor concussion. She will heal in no time," she offered, looking at Dinah uncomfortably, not mentioning the elephant in the room.

"But . . .." Dinah blurted, wanting to talk about it.

"Would you two keep down the racket? My head is going to explode," Helena complained groggily, raising her hand to her forehead and wincing at the painful pounding.

"How do you feel?" Barbara asked with forced calm.

"I would have thought that the comment about my head exploding covered that," Helena said grumpily as she gingerly touched her bruised face and head.

"You hit it when you hit the building . . . and the ground," Barbara said with a wince.

Recalling her fear for the kid, Helena quickly glanced to Dinah and frowned at the bandage on her wrist. "D? You OK?"

"You saved my life," Dinah said with wonder. "I don't know how you did it, but you stopped me from falling when my TK bubble failed."

"Do . . . do you know how you did it?" Barbara asked hesitantly.

Helena blinked and thought about it. "I . . . really didn't want to hit the ground and . . . I didn't," she offered with surprise. "Then I saw Dinah was falling and . . . I saw her bubble fading. I had to do _something_," Helena said with uneasy emotion, causing Dinah to smile warmly. "She was wearing my favorite top," Helena added gruffly, prompting Dinah to roll her eyes.

Barbara rolled closer and took her hand.

"I don't know how, but I think this is because of the 0.4 seconds, Helena," she said softly. "I also think you were showing signs of this effect earlier when you fell at the warehouse and in the training room."

"I was having balance problems on the roof top when I was dodging lizard man's tail. I just was . . . off. I just couldn't get a sure footing," Helena admitted, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. She felt like crap.

"It makes sense that you would have balance problems as you learn to . . . fly, " Barbara offered with pursed lips, not sure whether this . . . development would prove to be good or bad.

"Are you saying Helena can fly?!" Dinah blurted with enthusiasm.

"Whoa, hold on," Helena said and added with a grimace "I hit a building. And the ground."

"As with anything, practice makes you better," Barbara said gently, though her mind raced, wondering how one actually practices flying. She didn't think Helena would appreciate being pushed off a high building again.

"Come on, are you really telling me I really can _fly_?" Helena said incredulously.

"How could you have caught Dinah when you were knocked off the building first?" Barbara said, prompting a look of consternation from her lover. "I thought you had always wanted to fly," she said with a small smile, recalling how disappointed the human half of Helena was to learn she never had that power.

"Perhaps I should have clarified that I would prefer the flying where you don't hit buildings or the ground," Helena frowned. Barbara smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair off Helena's brow.

"Maybe it's TK," Dinah suggested, looking at Barbara, who shook her head.

"I don't think so - that wouldn't account for Helena's balance problems," she said to the teen.

"Barbara?" Helena said with a soft voice.

"Yes, Hel?"

"Did you check my blood?" She asked uneasily, her rare look of vulnerability pulled at Barbara's heart, expanding her already notable protective streak.

Barbara squeezed Helena's hand. "I did and the nucleotides are still stable, even after your . . . flying episode. Whatever changes that occurred because of the incomplete merging, I'm pretty confident now that they are stable," Barbara said with a small smile of encouragement. Helena exhaled with some relief.

"But we'll need to run some tests," Barbara continued, prompting Helena to frown.

"Tomorrow, we can test your balance and motor coord…"

"What about lizard guy?" Helena interrupted with irritation, wanting to catch the bastard who treated her as a human baseball.

"Don't worry about him right now, Hel."

"We lost him, didn't we?" Helena said with displeasure.

"Yes. But we will get him," Barbara said with conviction.

"Kind of hard to hide looking like that," Dinah chimed in with a smirk.

"As hard as it is to disappear looking like that?" Helena countered, wiping the smirk off of Dinah's face. Helena couldn't help but yawn, the rooftop battle and collisions with the building and ground wore her down.

"The most important thing right now is for Helena to get some rest," Barbara announced and held up a hand to forestall the expected argument, causing Helena's breath of protest to exhale heavily. She wanted to get that bastard.

Barbara reached forward with her raised hand and caressed Helena's cheek "You will do that for me, won't you, Sweetie?" Barbara asked softly.

"You make it hard to argue with you," Helena admitted, shutting her eyes and leaning into the caress.

"Apparently not too hard, you still manage quite well," Barbara joked softly.

"It's part of my charm," Helena said with another yawn.

"Ah. Thanks for clearing that up," Barbara said dryly as she watched Helena lean back in the bed and nodded.

"If you need anything else cleared up, just let me know," Helena said tiredly, finally shutting her eyes, succumbing to her fatigue. Shifting slightly under the covers to seek a more comfortable position, she added softly, "I'm your gal."

A warmth spread through Barbara at that thought. "Sweet dreams," she whispered.

"Love you," Helena exhaled and drifted into a deep slumber.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 4...


	4. Chapter 4 - Discovery

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Discovery**

Barbara sat at Delphi and stared at the screen, which showed Helena's latest blood test results. She pondered, not for the first time, how the 0.4 seconds had affected Helena. Now that she had some insight, she felt a bit more at ease knowing what they had to face. But it was not going to be easy, she considered worriedly. Helena still needed to learn to control this power; if she didn't, she would have a very difficult life.

"You're still worried," Dinah said softly, appearing by Barbara's side.

Barbara looked up at her young ward. The expression on the redhead's face clearly conveyed concern.

"This could be a good thing," Dinah offered with a shrug, not as concerned as her mentor.

"It could be. Her nucleotides are still stable after her…flight," Barbara offered uncomfortably. "That's encouraging," she added hesitantly, unconvincingly.

Dinah nodded weakly and looked at the screen. "So there's no information on lizard guy? Or the helicopter that came to pick him up?"

"No. It would seem lizard guy, the gold, and his helicopter have all disappeared," Barbara said with irritation.

**/BoP\**

After a few hours, Barbara returned to her . . . _**their**_ room, she thought with wonder as she began her routine for bed. She brushed her teeth and washed her face, glancing back into the bedroom with a warm smile as she considered the large changes to their lives in a few short days. Having Helena in her bed, as a lover, and being truly and completely committed to her was nothing short of . . . amazing. The woman brought her so much joy it was almost criminal. Even before the change in their relationship, Barbara knew without a doubt, that her life had been richer for having Helena Kyle in it. And during her darkest hours after the shooting, when Helena had been by her side, she honestly couldn't say whether she would have survived without her.

Reflecting back, she didn't know why she had been so blind to seeing just how much Helena really meant to her - and how much she meant to Helena. The veil over her normally perceptive eyes finally disintegrated as she worked desperately to understand what had happened to Helena, who had essentially been torn in two – a Meta half and a human half. Barbara rolled up to their bed and stared at the sleeping form, knowing she had never felt more helpless. Time had been running out for Helena's Meta side, whose cells were unstable. She was going to die before their eyes if something wasn't done. But every piece of information, every bit of logic screamed for her to wait, to better understand the process before making a remerging attempt that would very likely destroy them both.

Yet, for the first time in her life, she acted solely on faith. Not a faith that things would work out, for she certainly did not have that. Instead, she desperately clung onto her faith in Helena, who for some unfathomable reason had a surprising, highly questionable, and aggravatingly unsubstantiated conviction that remerging was the right thing at that time and that things would work out as they were meant to be.

Faith. She had nothing else to hold on to.

Careful not to disturb Helena, she quietly shifted into bed, reflecting, not for the first time, that Helena had been right; the remerging didn't kill her. Yet, her relief was not complete. She still worried about the missing 0.4 seconds. At least that nagging worry changed from fear of the unknown to uncertainty about the known, which was a little less stressful, she considered, trying to be a bit more optimistic. As she exhaled and shifted to get comfortable, Helena gravitated towards her.

"Hel?" Barbara said quietly, wondering if she had disturbed her.

Greeted with silence, Barbara smiled warmly and indulged in a long look at the beautiful woman. Save for the purple bruises marring her cheek and forehead, she looked almost angelic, Barbara thought with a warm smile that faded as Helena's hand drifted underneath her nightshirt, up her stomach, and to her breast.

Looks can certainly be deceiving, she considered wryly.

"Hel? I refuse to have sleep sex with you."

One blue eye opened. "Sleep sex? Innnnnteresting."

"You really should rest," Barbara said.

"Why is it that you just assume that I want to have sex?" Helena said, feigning irritation as she stroked Barbara's breast.

Barbara sucked in an uneasy breath from the arousing caresses. "It is not an assumption but a conclusion, based on empirical ev . . . idence. Intimate caresses are usually a good indicator," she said with a raised brow, though she made no effort to stop those caresses.

"Hmmm. What other indicators are there that would make you think that I want to touch you . . . taste you," she said softly, leaning closer to Barbara's neck, her warm breath provoking chills. "And feel you inside me as I fill you, stroking, slowly . . . firmly," Helena said as she caressed Barbara's breast and squeezed her nipple.

"Uh," Barbara moaned.

". . . and look into your beautiful eyes as our arousal grows . . . almost painfully as we crave more, harder . . . faster," Helena husked then sucked on Barbara's pulse point, which was rapidly beating.

"Until we both finally . . . climax and collapse, tangled, sweaty, spent and . . . very satisfied."

Barbara shut her eyes as Helena's hand slipped down and found the wetness both knew was waiting for her. "I . . . trouble thinking . . . other . . . examples . . . at . . . moment," Barbara said, as Helena entered her and began to stroke her firmly.

"Don't think. Feel," Helena whispered and gently kissed Barbara's lips, caressing them with her warm tongue.

Barbara's hand quickly slipped behind Helena's head and pulled her into a deeper kiss.

**/BoP\**

After collapsing together in a tangled, sweaty heap, exhausted, spent, and very satisfied,

Helena smiled lazily. "I can't believe you would so easily jump to conclusions, Red."

"What _was_ I thinking?" Barbara said with a soft chuckle.

**/BoP\**

Helena jumped up on the balance beam in the training room, wobbled uncontrollably, and fell off, for the fifth time. "GODDAMNIT! This is a fucking waste of time!" She cried out to the ceiling with her back on the floor.

"Helena, you need to relearn how to keep your balance with your new power," Barbara said patiently, wincing sympathetically when Helena pulled herself up off the floor, and steadied herself uneasily, still having some balance issues.

"What if I can't learn? What if I am doomed to fall down the rest of my life?!" Helena blurted angrily.

"Then we will deal with that problem together," Barbara answered confidently.

"Fuck! I feel like it's getting worse," Helena ran her hand through her hair and blew out a frustrated exhale.

"You have to keep trying, Helena. Please don't give up," Barbara said, unable to hide the worry clouding her face.

Helena glanced at Barbara, who had always been her rock. Guilt replaced anger as she recalled how hard Barbara had worked to become mobile after the shooting. "Good thing I heal quickly, huh?" Helena offered, shaking her head, prompting a small smile of relief.

"Not to mention having a hard head," Barbara added helpfully.

Helena eyed Barbara with a soft, playful growl before she approached the beam once again. With a deep breath, she jumped up and landed, wobbling a little, but staying in place. "Ha!" Helena said triumphantly, prompting Barbara's hopeful smile. "Fuck!" She flapped her arms and fell off.

Barbara winced.

"How's it . . . ?" Dinah said brightly as she entered the gym and saw Helena sprawled out on the floor.

"FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!"

Dinah did an about-face. "Going!"

"Chicken," Helena groused at the fleeing teen's back. With a heavy sigh, she picked herself up off the floor…again.

"You've been at it a while, maybe we could take a break," Barbara said, getting a very intrigued look. "Oh for heaven's sake, Hel. I'm not talking about that!"

Helena frowned.

"I was thinking just going out and enjoying the day…together," Barbara said a bit awkwardly.

"A lunch date?" Helena asked, interested.

"Yeah," Barbara answered with a smile, knowing getting out of the tower would be good for both of them. "What do you think?"

"Are you going to woo me?" Helena asked curiously.

"Woo . . . you?" Barbara responded, perplexed.

"If it's a date, I want to be wooed," Helena said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Barbara stared at her.

**/BoP\**

"So…any leads on the lizard guy?" Helena asked before biting into her club sandwich.

Barbara glanced around the restaurant uneasily, not used to discussing business in public. The couple closest to them at a nearby table . . . a married couple, she amended, noting their rings…didn't seem to hear them. With a small sigh of relief, she acknowledged it had been a long time since she had been social with anyone who knew about her extracurricular activities.

"Unfortunately no," Barbara said apologetically, poking her Cobb salad, really wanting to catch that guy, who so easily batted Helena off a roof. It was a nice change to be able to share all of herself with someone who understood and just…got her, Barbara considered with a smile. She couldn't help but feel extremely lucky.

"Uh Barbara? Usually people don't smile when they're at a dead end," Helena said.

"No, I suppose they don't," Barbara said, reconsidering that Helena didn't always get her.

Helena looked at her a moment then smiled. "I feel lucky too, Red," she said softly, surprising Barbara. "Soooo, there's no connection between the explosive residue from the warehouse and the Federal Reserve?" Helena asked, drinking her iced tea.

"Why would you think…?" Barbara asked, intrigued Helena seemed to have the same suspicion that she couldn't currently substantiate.

"Barbara, honey?" Jim Gordon said, coming up to their table, happy to run into his daughter.

"Dad," Barbara said, a smile lighting up her face. Helena absently wondered what it was like to actually like your Dad.

"Mr. Gordon," Helena said, starting to get up from her seat out of respect.

"As you were," Jim said with mild amusement, though pleased with the woman's deference.

"Would you like to join us?" Barbara asked then cringed, realizing this had been a rare day out for them. Having your Dad tag along wasn't exactly a great lunch date plan.

"Yeah! Barbara's buying! You don't want to miss out on that," Helena said enthusiastically, clearly receptive to the idea.

"You make me sound cheap," Barbara complained, making Jim smirk.

Helena looked at her in challenge. "_**Generic**_ pop tarts, Red?" she gravely reminded Barbara of one horrific example of frugality.

Barbara sighed, recalling when Helena found the plain grey box in the kitchen. The rebellious teen wasn't even going to try them and when she finally did, made dramatic gagging sounds. Barbara couldn't understand her theatrics, personally unable to tell the difference in taste; both tasted like sweet, preservative-laden pieces of cardboard.

Helena smiled with satisfaction for making her point, then looked up at the silver-haired man. "Sure you don't want to join us, Mr. Gordon?"

"Actually, I was meeting Carl Tucker for lunch. You remember him, don't you?" Jim said with amusement.

"The more the merrier," Helena offered with a smile, getting a frown from Barbara.

"Actually, we were going to discuss business. But I'll take a rain check with you two, if that's all right?"

"That's fine, Dad," Barbara said and received a kiss on her cheek.

"Barbara? Helena!" Carl Tucker said with a big smile as he found Jim at their table.

"Hey, Carl," Helena said with a smile.

"Carl," Barbara said politely, her posture stiffening.

Jim withheld a grin at his daughter's displeasure, wondering if she actually didn't see the clear adoration in Helena's eyes when she looked at her.

"Is that a club?" Carl asked, eyeing Helena's selection then Helena, with interest.

Barbara stared at the man who seemed to forget that Helena was with her.

"Yep."

"Looks good. Is it?"

"It is pretty good," she said and looked at him oddly.

Carl smiled uneasily when Helena took a surprising sniff of air. "Interesting cologne," she said, looking at him curiously.

"Polo," he said with a shrug.

"Our table is ready," Jim said, glancing over to the waitress with two menus in her hand. "Have a nice lunch you two."

"You too, Dad," Barbara said, noticing Helena's preoccupied look as she stared at Carl.

"Ladies," he said before leaving with Jim.

After they left, Barbara grew annoyed at Helena's gaze, which was still focused on Carl. "If you'd rather have lunch with them, just say the word," Barbara said with irritation.

"Huh?" Helena said, her gaze returning to her lover.

"I'll admit he's easy on the eyes," Barbara said tightly unable to help herself; for some unpleasant reason she was very jealous. "…and apparently smells good."

"You think . . . ? How could you think THAT," Helena said, insulted Barbara would think she would ever stray.

Seeing the surprise and hurt in Helena's eyes, Barbara immediately felt embarrassed for her ugly emotion and cringed. "I'm sorry, Hel. I . . . I don't know why I just . . . I'm sorry."

Helena sighed, knowing Barbara occasionally let her insecurities about her physical limitations express themselves at surprising times, like now. But Barbara and she belonged together and Helena was prepared to spend a lifetime reminding her. Placing a hand over Barbara's, Helena said "You certainly pegged a big fat zero on the woo meter." She shook her head sadly, patting Barbara's hand.

"I _**have**_ been remiss in properly wooing you," Barbara admitted, relieved Helena was so forgiving of her jealous stupidity. "I suppose there is only one thing I can do now. . . ," Barbara said gravely, gaining Helena's interest. Looking over to their server, Barbara nodded. Other waiters and waitresses came over to their table with a small cake that had a candle in it. Helena eyed Barbara in confusion, noting the mischief in her green eyes.

"Happy anniversary, happy anniversary, happy anniversary HAAAAPY anniversary," the staff sang, getting the restaurant to all look in their direction. Helena shook her head with a smile, but was still confused. "Congratulations, ladies," their waitress said with a big smile before the group left them to their small cake and two forks.

"And what anniversary are we celebrating, Red?" Helena asked with an amused smile.

"You don't know?" Barbara said with disappointment.

Panic started to rise as Helena slowly shook her head no as she racked her memory, wondering if she had missed something anniversary worthy, like when they first moved in together or when they first joined forces to battle crime…

"I can't believe you don't remember," she said, sounding slightly hurt, making Helena wince at her clear gaff. "It's our four-day anniversary, Helena," Barbara explained, withholding a smile as she enjoyed the expressions emerging on Helena's confused face.

"Four . . . ? Oh!" she blurted, realizing they had become intimate four days ago. The realization was quickly followed by a frown; even SHE knew people didn't usually celebrate a four-day anniversary…of even a life-altering development.

Helena's eyes quickly narrowed in suspicion. "That was just to get _**free**_ cake, wasn't it?"

"I'm not going to even dignify that with an answer," Barbara said briskly, picking up a fork and taking a small piece. Well aware Helena's eyes were watching her every move, Barbara took a bite and moaned with enjoyment. Not quite finished, she deliberately and thoroughly licked the fork clean.

There could have been a holdup at the restaurant and Helena wouldn't have noticed, her focus was the only person who had the ability to make her wish she was a fork.

"It's very good," Barbara offered innocently with a sparkle in her eyes.

"So it would seem," Helena said with an amused chuckle at the clear challenge. God she loved that woman.

**/BoP\**

"And Jamie came home from soccer yesterday, informing me she's in love with wolf boy and running away with him to the circus," a wife said flatly as she grabbed a roll from the breadbasket, getting an absent nod from her husband, who said "that's nice dear" while his gaze was still glued to the two beautiful women at the adjacent table clearly enjoying each other and the lucky dessert.

At the surprising tap against his forehead from the tossed roll, the husband's gaze finally broke from the attractive women. "Huh?" the husband said dumbly, glancing at the roll then to his wife to see a sour look.

She shook her head.

"The cake . . . looks good," he said, smiling weakly.

**/BoP\**

"You should try it," Barbara said, pushing the cake closer to her companion.

Focused on Barbara's eyes, Helena reached out and gently traced her fingers over Barbara's before landing on the fork. Barbara took in a slight breath at the electrifying touch, then silently cursed the ease with which Helena could undo her.

As Helena took the fork from Barbara, she leaned in and briefly took possession of the Redhead's sensuous lips. "Mmm. Chocolate."

"Good?" Barbara whispered, their lips a breath apart.

"No," Helena answered, getting a perplexed, bordering annoyed, look from Barbara.

"The best," Helena honestly explained, enabling Barbara to understand how someone could actually swoon.

"For heaven's sake, would you two get a room!?" the annoyed wife hissed, startling Helena and Barbara apart from another kiss. They found the wife with purse in hand hovering at their table, glaring at them before stomping out of the restaurant.

Her husband awkwardly followed, pausing briefly at their table with an apologetic look. "Uh, sorry…migraines," the husband lamely blurted, uncomfortably motioning to his head then his wife before quickly chasing after her.

Barbara and Helena looked at each other a stunned moment. Barbara felt the flush of embarrassment wash over her; she hadn't even noticed them, too preoccupied with Helena's sensuous lips. "Oh dear," she whispered, looking around the restaurant wondering if anyone else had been witness to the spectacle. With an uneasy glance to her father's table, it appeared that at least he and Carl were not.

"I feel bad for the man," Helena said conversationally and took a bite of cake, unfazed by the scene.

"Why?" Barbara asked, her curiosity overcoming embarrassment.

"Can you imagine your wife _**always**_ having a headache?" Helena said with distaste.

"He never…," Barbara automatically began to correct Helena but noted her amused grin and exhaled with exasperation instead.

Helena chuckled. Barbara rolled her eyes and picked up a fork. When she reached for the cake, Helena pulled the plate closer to herself. "Get your own," she said, taking a bite.

"Helena!"

"You could tell them it's your birthday," Helena suggested helpfully with a shrug and chuckled as she started to take another bite. "Mmmm. This is good," Helena spoke with her mouth full.

"I had thought you'd want to share with me," Barbara said dejectedly, glancing up to see Helena frown …as she had hoped.

"I...," Helena started, but hesitated, looking at the dessert. "Nope. We're talking chocolate _**cake**_, Barbara," Helena explained seriously, taking another bite. "Mmmmm."

Barbara stared at her a moment and said flatly "You hedonist."

Helena smiled unrepentantly. "This is news?"

"I suppose not," Barbara admitted with a chuckle as she shook her head, surprised when Helena slowly slid back the plate towards her in offering.

"I have a question for you," Helena said, looking over to Carl Tucker.

"What?" Barbara glanced his way with pursed lips.

"Why would a lawyer and volunteer in a children's home have traces of accelerant on him?"

**/BoP\**

"Helena, I'm not so sure . . . ," Barbara started with a grimace, rolling back from Delphi to look at her teammates.

"Come on, Red! I can't stay cooped up forever," Helena argued, then declared "I'm going with Dinah. She can't smell accelerant like I can."

"True, but she doesn't have balance problems either," Barbara countered.

"This is just a surveillance, Barbara," Helena responded with exasperation. "Tell her, Dinah," she said, getting wide eyes of concern from the teen, who did NOT want to get in the middle.

"Uh," Dinah blurted, looking uncomfortably between her mentors.

Helena rolled her eyes. Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose, knowing she was not going to stop Helena with common sense or logic.

"Promise me . . . you won't engage and get into any fights. Just _**surveillance**_," Barbara stressed firmly.

"No problem," Helena said with a smile.

**/BoP\**

"_Huntress? What's your status?"_

"In a minute, Oracle," Helena said, dodging a fist from a large goon as Dinah threw a TK punch at another. Three other goons ran into the warehouse hearing the commotion.

"More company!" Dinah said with concern as the guy she was fighting came after her again.

"_Company? Huntress, I thought you agreed this was only going to be a __**surveillance**__!" _

"Kind of . . . ," Helena said, punching the large goon out cold. "…busy right now, Oracle," she added just before another thug got a solid punch to her face, making her head snap back.

"FUCK!" She hissed, grabbing her nose before dodging another attack. She jumped out of the way and landed uneasily. With a growl of frustration, she headed back towards her attacker.

**/BoP\**

"Dinah, are you all right?" Barbara asked as the teen emerged from the elevator with Helena.

"I'm fine," she said uncertainly, feeling the thick wave of tension rolling off her mentor.

"Good," Barbara said with a relieved exhale.

"You did good tonight, Kid," Helena said softly, surprising the teen, who smiled weakly.

"Please go to your room, Dinah," Barbara said firmly, getting an uneasy nod from Dinah, who knew not to argue from the glare Barbara was giving Helena. As requested, the teen fled to the safety of her room.

Helena gingerly touched her nose, thankful that at least the bleeding stopped; she looked down at her shirt with a frown, noting a few crimson drops marring the silky cream surface.

"Is your nose broken?" Barbara asked tightly.

"Yes."

"Let's get you cleaned up," Barbara said, rolling to their bathroom with Helena quietly following.

Helena silently put the lid down and sat on the commode as Barbara took a warm washcloth and gently cleaned up the blood.

"Let me see if I can understand what happened," Barbara said calmly, inspecting the nose. "I asked you not to go because of your balance problems . . . and you did. I asked you to stay out of any confrontational situations . . . and you didn't," Barbara said, looking into her eyes.

"Pretty much," Helena said, getting a glare for her answer.

"I can't believe this!" Barbara snapped, staring at the ugly bruise marring Helena's beautiful face.

"We _**handled**_ it just fine!" Helena blurted and marched out of the bathroom.

"But you weren't supposed to have to _**handle**_ it!" Barbara said heatedly as she rolled behind Helena. "Look at your face, Helena! They were just thugs and they got past your defenses! What if you came across the lizard guy again? You can't be sure you wouldn't have become a liability!"

The words stung. Hard. Helena frowned.

"It's bad enough that I have to worry about you risking yourself all the time. But now with your . . . condition, you are determined to place Dinah at risk too!" Barbara continued angrily.

"I would _**never **_place Dinah in danger," Helena hissed.

"But you did by going on sweeps in your . . . condition," Barbara shot back. "How can she concentrate if she sees you having trouble?!"

"We _**handled**_ it! GOD!" Helena spat in angry frustration.

"And the next time? Will you be able to _**handle**_ it then?!" Barbara argued heatedly.

"I am not going to stop living my life because . . . ." Helena argued.

"That's right! _**You **_are not going to listen because it doesn't suit _**you**_," Barbara interrupted with frustration. "For God's sake, Helena, it's not just about _**you**_ anymore!"

After a tense, silent moment, Helena spoke quietly. "All right," she said and removed her necklace and earrings. "I won't go on sweeps with Dinah," she said with eerie calm, placing her coms on the nightstand.

Barbara eyed the abandoned jewelry with alarm. "Helena…"

"I'm going out to clear my head. I'll be back after I calm down," Helena said neutrally and left the bedroom, heading to the elevator.

Barbara almost called out to her; instead she pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.

**/BoP\**

"Is she back yet?" Dinah asked, glancing around the Clock Tower curiously.

"No," Barbara said, typing on the keyboard without looking at her.

Dinah bit her lip. "So…any leads on why we followed a lawyer to a supposedly abandoned warehouse and ran into five thugs moving explosives?"

"There are a few. I'm also finding some interesting connections with Carl Tucker."

"Oh," Dinah said, tucking a blond strand behind her ear. "He didn't happen to have a client named Mr. Lizard Guy, did he?" Dinah joked.

Barbara looked up at her neutrally, causing Dinah's smirk to fade. "I haven't found anything on the Lizard Guy yet. But that doesn't mean it's not out there."

**/BoP\**

Barbara sat on her bed, rubbing the back of her neck as she tried to focus on the paragraph that she had re-read several times. Even before this balance issue, she always had trouble focusing when Helena was off coms, fearing the worst. The air shifted, causing her to look up curiously from her book.

"Hel?" Barbara called out, glancing around the darkened bedroom. She almost missed the figure lurking in the dark corner.

"Yeah," Helena said softly, staying in the shadows.

"I'm sorry I was so short with you," Barbara offered, taking off her glasses and closing her book, putting both on the nightstand by the lamp. "I just want you and Dinah safe."

"You were right," Helena said gravely, ignoring the apology.

"About what?" Barbara asked, growing concerned with Helena's mood and continued distance.

"I'm . . . a liability," Helena said with difficulty. The defeatist tone in her voice scared Barbara.

"Helena, come here," Barbara said firmly. After a moment without Helena responding, she added, "Don't make me come after you. You know I will."

With a heavy exhale, Helena slowly emerged from the shadows and approached the bed.

"Hel," Barbara said with alarm, seeing the new scrapes on her face and the injured arm that Helena was cradling.

"I can't even run the rooftops like I used to," Helena said miserably. "I'd never do anything to hurt Dinah, you _**know**_ that, right?" she blurted anxiously.

"Hel, I know. Oh sweetie, I know that. So does Dinah. Did you break it?" She asked as she started to move from the bed to her chair.

"I . . . yeah. Barbara you don't need to…." Helena said, not feeling worthy of any sympathy or help at the moment.

"Helena, I am going to set it so it heals right," she said firmly, settling into her chair. "THAT is not up for negotiation," she announced, rolling towards her lover.

"I'm sorry I let you down, I…" Helena said weakly, knowing Dinah could have been seriously hurt because of her stubbornness.

"Hel! You did _**not**_ let me down," Barbara said firmly. "We need go to the training room. No arguments."

Helena looked at her uneasily but nodded.

With a firm nod, Barbara rolled out of the room with Helena in tow.

As they entered the training room, Barbara rolled to the medical supplies. "Sit down on the examining table," she softly instructed Helena, who sluggishly did as told.

Barbara rolled back to Helena's side and took a long look at her. "I know you are confused and worried. I am too. But we'll get through, Hel. Trust me," she said earnestly.

"How . . . do you know?" Helena asked softly, wanting to believe Barbara. "How do you know this isn't the way it will be from now on?"

"Because I said so. And we're both too damn stubborn to accept defeat," Barbara said with surprisingly illogical conviction, earning a small snort from Helena.

"Let's see about your arm," Barbara said warmly, reaching out for the injured limb.

"I'm sorry, Barbara," Helena said guiltily as her arm was inspected.

"You're human, Helena, whether you like it or not. I know this is …" Barbara said feeling around the injury.

"AH!"

"Sorry," Barbara quickly blurted with a sympathetic cringe. ". . . difficult," she continued. "But we've had "difficult" before," she noted, pulling out a slender rubber looking cylinder and holding it out for Helena, who eyed it curiously.

"Kinky," Helena blurted with a smirk, unable to help herself.

"I want you to bite down on this," Barbara said, glaring at her with exasperation. Was there ever a time Helena wasn't thinking about sex? "I need to set your arm. And it _**will **_hurt," Barbara said bluntly, not one to pull punches. She held out the cylinder until Helena hesitantly nodded and took it with a frown.

"Great. A chew toy," Helena muttered.

"I'm going to pull your arm so the bone aligns," she said, gently bracing one hand on Helena's shoulder as she lifted up Helena's arm and grabbed the forearm. Even that motion caused a wince of pain from her lover. "You ready?" She asked.

Helena winced with a reluctant nod, placing the slender cylinder in her mouth.

"Ok. Here we go," Barbara said and with a swift yank, she pulled.

"Muggghh!" Helena's cry was muffled as tears filled her eyes.

"The bones are aligned now and will heal properly. I'm so sorry, sweetie," Barbara said guiltily, brushing the hair off of Helena's tear-stained face.

Taking the cylinder out of her mouth, she responded hoarsely "It's not your fault."

"It's not yours either," Barbara said, wiping off a tear from her cheek before gathering the materials for a cast.

Helena disagreed but remained silent as Barbara diligently tended her throbbing arm.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 5….


	5. Chapter 5 - Connections

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Connections**

"Dinah says you found some interesting connections to Carl Tucker," Helena noted, sitting down on a rolling chair next to Barbara, who sorted through several databases Delphi had accessed.

"I thought you were sleeping. You should rest – your arm will heal faster," Barbara scolded her gently as she turned to face her, glancing at the clock which read 2:43 AM.

"And you should sleep now because you never get enough rest," Helena countered, tilting her head, daring Barbara to argue.

Barbara eyed her a moment and adjusted her glasses before answering the original question. "I have found that Carl Tucker was hired by Peter Fry to deal with various legal issues, business contracts and such which all appear to be on the up-and-up."

"But…?"

"Peter Fry is a convicted arsonist."

"Nice name for an arsonist," Helena snorted. "So Carl is either turning a blind eye to Mr. Fry's activities, or . . . ," she offered.

"Or, he is working with him," Barbara noted.

"And if so, what is he up to?" Helena said.

"Excellent question."

"Any other info of note?"

"Well, since you asked," Barbara said with a smirk turning towards her computer as she pushed up her glasses. Her fingers flew over the keyboard, brining up a few windows of information.

"Carl Tucker has not had the best attendance record at his last two New Gotham law firms, which had caused him to be "released" from the last one just over a year ago."

"You mean "fired." I can't believe your Dad thought he was a good match for me!" Helena blurted, clearly insulted.

"I don't think he knew, Hel," Barbara said patiently, pushing up her glasses.

"So Carl-boy doesn't feel secure in his future with a billionaire grandfather and is knocking off Federal Reserves to continue with the lifestyle he has become accustomed to?" Helena frowned.

"Interesting…," Barbara responded and rapidly typed a few search strings on the keyboard.

"What?"

"Look," Barbara turned the screen slightly for Helena to see it better.

She leaned in and read. "Whoa. Now that would piss him off," Helena said. "Gramps leaving his billions to the Tucker house."

"Something tells me he's not done with one heist," Barbara said.

"So $10 Million isn't enough for a good life and cushy retirement anymore, huh?" Helena said shaking her head. "So where does lizard guy come in?"

"I'm not sure yet."

"A meta who's helping him?"

"Could be, but I have no record of any lizard metas matching the description you and Dinah provided."

"Barbara? Does Carl have a pilot's license?" Helena asked curiously.

Intrigued, Barbara's brow rose as she typed in another search string. "As a matter of fact, he does," she said with surprise. "He's licensed for instrument flying and . . . helicopters. I can't believe I missed that…."

"You missed it because you were worried about me and have not had a good night's sleep in a while. Come on," Helena said, standing up and holding out her uninjured hand.

"Helena, you go in," Barbara said, now mulling over this new information. "I have a few more…."

"No," Helena said firmly.

"Hel…."

"NO, Barbara. You'll think better after a good night's sleep," Helena persisted.

"And how many nights have we slept together with either of us getting a good night's sleep?" Barbara challenged, eyeing her pointedly.

Helena rolled her eyes. "I will be on my best behavior. Come on, Red. You have dark rings under those beautiful eyes. I know you will try to push yourself more - but don't. Let those little neurons of yours get a small break for once."

Barbara looked at Helena, reluctant to admit she was exhausted. "Please? Do it for me?" Helena said softly, batting her eyelashes with a small pout to her lips.

"Ugh! Fine, and don't look at me like that," Barbara complained, putting Delphi in stand-by.

"Like what?" Helena said innocently, fighting the smile of victory that wanted to emerge.

Barbara eyed her warily. "Like …that," she said, motioning absently towards Helena's pouty face.

Helena chuckled.

"Gloating is unbecoming, you know," Barbara groused as she rolled down the platform towards their bedroom.

"Gloating? I am just happy your hard-working brain cells will get a little rest. You know, they'll thank you for it later and probably come up with all the pieces to this lizard guy puzzle."

"Uh huh."

They went into their bathroom and started with their nightly ablutions. Helena pulled out her toothbrush and stared at the toothpaste a moment, wondering how to best attack it with one hand. "Here," Barbara said simply, picking up the tube and applying a glob on Helena's toothbrush.

"Thanks," Helena said with a soft smile and started to brush her teeth.

Barbara looked at her a long moment before chuckling to herself, shaking her head.

"What?" Helena softly asked, with a mouth full of toothpaste. She quickly spit it out and wiped her mouth on a hand towel. "What?"

"I guess, I never really expected to have . . . this," she said, motioning between them then to the bathroom.

"Me neither. I'm glad you finally caved in," she said conversationally, glancing into the vanity mirror, inspecting her latest collection of bruises and scrapes. They were healing well, she noted, though her cast was starting to itch like a….

"Caved in?"

"To my irresistibility-ness," Helena said with a cocky smile.

"Which, of course, is only surpassed by your unparalleled mastery of the English language," Barbara said dryly.

Helena grinned. "Indubitably."

**/BoP\**

As they settled beneath the covers, Helena leaned over and kissed Barbara on the lips. "Good night, Red," she said softly and returned back to her pillow.

"Good night, Hel," Barbara said, reaching out to caress Helena's face.

Feeling her ever-present desire begin to bubble up, Helena took Barbara's hand and tenderly kissed her palm as she shut her eyes. Taking a fortifying breath, she had to remind herself of her promise to be on good behavior. "Sleep," she reminded herself firmly.

Barbara chuckled weakly, her eyelids heavy. "Love you, Hel," she said softly as her eyes finally shut and she drifted off into long overdue slumber.

Helena exhaled slowly and stared at the ceiling, unable to drift off as easily as the woman next to her; she glanced at her injured arm, unable to shake the unnerving feeling of dread for what the future held.

**/BoP\**

Barbara slowly roused from a deep sleep, feeling a chill. She reached out to Helena, who was no longer in bed. Her hand migrated around the bed for the sheets. With a frown, she propped herself up and found the sheets pooled around her feet. She blinked and glanced over to the digital clock on her nightstand, which read 4:12 am. Must be in the bathroom, Barbara's sleep-fogged mind considered as she pulled up the sheet, and leaned back in bed, shutting her eyes. She sighed, recalling it wasn't long ago when she had trouble sleeping with someone in her bed. Now, with Helena, she had difficulty sleeping without her.

Listening for Helena, she didn't hear any of the usual sounds of running water, or footfalls, which wasn't exactly surprising; Helena was very quiet.

Hearing a faint exhale, Barbara's eyes immediately popped open. She blinked and looked around the room a few moments before noting a shadow above her, which seemed to be drifting towards their bedroom door. Barbara curiously focused on the odd shadow and suddenly sat up as her brain finally processed the incredible sight she was seeing, just as Helena thumped against the ceiling.

"Huh?" The groggy shadow blurted before moving awkwardly, reaching out. Feeling nothing beneath her, Helena woke with a start. "What the…? Shit!" Helena suddenly fell like a rock, hitting the floor hard. "Ugh!"

"Helena!" Barbara gasped, adding worriedly "Helena, are you OK?"

"What the…?" Helena said nervously as she felt herself become buoyant again. Grabbing the foot of the bed, Helena desperately held on with both her good and injured arms. "God!"

"Talk to me, Helena!" Barbara said as she quickly shifted out of bed, to her chair.

"I . . . I can't _**control **_this," Helena said in a panicked voice as Barbara turned on the room lights and rolled to Helena's side of the bed.

"Control wha . . . ," Barbara asked but abruptly stopped, immediately seeing for herself. The only thing keeping Helena Kyle from floating above her was the desperate grip she had on the bed.

"Is everything all right?" Dinah said, bursting into the room with concern, then looked with wide eyes at Helena. "Oh."

**/BoP\**

Tying Helena on the bed wasn't exactly the most elegant solution to this buoyancy problem but it worked; Barbara was satisfied Helena would not have to waste any energy holding on and once she calmed down, might be able to get some rest. After tightening the rope, Barbara looked at Helena, who was too worried to joke about the position she was in or tease her about an S&M obsession. And the absence of those typical comments just added to Barbara's worry.

"It will be OK, Hel," Barbara said with as much confidence as she could muster.

Helena looked between her restraints and her lover incredulously, clearly not believing her. "Try to rest," Barbara said with forced authority.

"I'm _**tied**_ to a fucking bed because I can't control this levitation …thing. And you want me to just _**rest**_?!" Helena snapped.

"Uh . . . you lost control when you slept. It would make sense that sleeping might . . . change that state back and return control to you," Barbara suggested weakly, grasping for an explanation to help calm Helena.

Helena didn't answer except for a glare, clearly conveying how much she believed that little theory.

Barbara shifted uncomfortably. "I need to take a blood sample," she said, knowing how much Helena loathed being a pincushion.

Helena nodded in resignation and lay back to stare at the ceiling, her body barely touching the bedding.

**/BoP\**

After examining and reexamining Helena's blood, Barbara leaned on the desk and rubbed her eyes. She was no closer to understanding how this was happening. The latest development of uncontrollable buoyancy was disturbing to say the least. She frowned and shook her head, annoyed she had not anticipated it. But what annoyed her more was that she had no idea what to do about it. Tying Helena to the bed was clearly not a long-term solution. A tendril of doubt wormed its way into her heart. Would Helena be forever incapacitated by this... condition? She couldn't live like that, Barbara thought worriedly.

"Barbara, is there someone we could call to help with this?" Dinah said softly, startling Barbara, who suddenly sat up, erect. "Sorry," Dinah winced.

Barbara waved off the apology and took a long breath, shaking her head no, at a loss for whom to call.

"What about Dr. Turner?" Dinah suggested. "Gwen would try to help."

Barbara frowned at the distasteful idea, then sighed, knowing her surprising flash of jealousy of the woman, who had helped before and had gotten close to Helena in such a short period of time, wasn't helping Helena now.

"I know she would try to help, Dinah. But I'm really not sure what good that would do. She was struggling like me to understand the basic physics of the MZT, which we never did fully grasp," Barbara said honestly, wishing there was someone she could turn to who had the answers, or could find them.

A frightened cry filled the Clock Tower. "Barbara!"

Dinah and Barbara looked at each other with alarm before rushing to the bedroom. Dinah gasped, seeing Helena pressed against the ceiling, with the bed still tied to her. Barbara finally caught up to Dinah, rolling next to her and stared at her lover, her jaw dropping. With great difficulty, she struggled to school her features.

"Barbara! Do something! Please!" Helena called out frantically. "Do something . . . please," she blurted, her plea weakening into whimpers of fear.

Barbara swallowed hard, knowing how much Helena hated not being in control. "It will be ok, Helena," she said, mustering all her willpower not to sound just as afraid as Helena; but she had no clue if anything would be ok anymore.

Dinah remained silent, though her heart pounded as the tremendous desperation from both women swept over her.

**/BoP\**

Helena was quiet with a tense look marring her face as Alfred efficiently buckled the harness around her while Dinah held her in place with TK. "All set, Miss Helena," he said with certainty when finished and stepped back.

Dinah released the TK hold and bit her lip; Barbara held her breath.

Helena could feel herself float up but was held in place by the harness . . . that was attached by steel cables to a metal plate that had just been bolted into to the training room floor by Alfred.

"Thank you," Helena barely managed to whisper, staring at the floor, a floor only her toes were touching. Dinah cringed uncomfortably, feeling the fear radiating from her unexpectedly buoyant friend.

Not knowing what words would have been appropriate, the unflappable butler simply nodded, having learned that silence was usually the safest response.

"I'll be preparing breakfast now, unless there is anything else?" Alfred looked at Barbara, who weakly shook her head no as she focused on the metal plate which she calculated should hold over 50,000 pounds of force. "Ladies," he said politely, collected the tools, and departed.

"I'll go help," Dinah said uneasily, frowning as she glanced at Helena, who continued to stare at the floor. She looked to Barbara, who looked her in the eye and gave her a confident nod. Dinah smiled weakly, feeling Barbara's fear too, though her mentor was more successful at burying it; without another word, she left them alone.

After an awkward moment, Barbara rolled up to Helena. She slowly reached out for her hand but Helena recoiled.

"Don't you _**dare**_ pull away from me," Barbara hissed, swiftly grabbing Helena's hand. "You are not alone in this," she said vehemently, squeezing. "I have no idea what is going on but I _**will**_. We _**will**_ get through this. Together," Barbara vowed, hating to see Helena look so defeated.

"I can't . . . live like this," Helena said with quiet, brutal honesty, unable to look her in the eye.

The implication struck dread into Barbara's heart. That dread quickly manifested itself into anger. "You. Will. Not. Give. Up! Do you hear me?!" Barbara growled; they had been through too much together to just give up!

Helena finally looked at Barbara, defeated. "I . . . ," she said weakly, then fell into silence, unable to explain to a woman who would not hear. Her gaze returned to the floor; the floor her toes no longer touched. She knew her limits. This was not something she could overcome…no matter how much Barbara might wish it.

"Helena," Barbara tried but Helena would not look at her. "We will get through this," she said firmly again but Helena didn't respond and continued to stare down in defeat.

With a frustrated exhale, Barbara angrily spun her chair around and left Helena alone, in her harness, hovering a half-inch above the floor.

**/BoP\**

"Barbara! This is a nice . . . ," Jim Gordon said happily upon seeing his daughter at his front door. His smile faded when he noted her face. ". . . surprise?"

"Daddy," she said miserably.

**/BoP\**

Helena looked at the floor she had hovered above for over a half hour and continued to glare at the metal plate - the only thing able to hold her down. She knew she could not live her life this, like a helpless balloon, haplessly floating at the whim of the wind; she'd go crazy. If only she was as strong as….

Tears stung her eyes as she growled in guilty frustration, knowing she had disappointed and more importantly, hurt Barbara by pushing her away; the one person who could understand a life-altering change in her physical ability. After a highly active life of crime fighting and flying across the Gotham rooftops, Barbara had to face the brutal fact - whatever life she intended on living, it would have to be from a wheelchair. And in spite of that crushing limitation, Barbara chose to live. Not just live, Helena silently amended with profound admiration - Barbara chose to continue what she was doing, battling crime, though from a different and even more successful vantage point, from behind Delphi. Of course the overachiever, Barbara even took on the duties of being a guardian for a troubled teen, who mourned the loss of her mother and cursed the absent hero father she had just learned she had. Barbara literally saved her, she knew, even as a troubled teen. Had Barbara not taken on that monumental burden, she would have likely wound up on the other side of the law . . . and certainly not become her lover.

Lovers. Tears started to spill from her eyes as tremendous guilt and depression weighed upon her. Helena never had a real relationship before. So why did she ever think it was a good idea to have one with Barbara, she thought derisively. She had let Barbara down so many times before…and now was no different. The amazing woman, who overcame so much heartbreak and disappointment in her life, took a risk and opened herself up to her.

And what does she do with that precious gift? She pushed Barbara away at the first sign of trouble and practically said she'd kill herself! Was a fucking idiot!

She growled angrily at herself, knowing exactly how would she have felt if Barbara had implied death was better than life with her.

If only she had just _**some**_ of Barbara's strength, she considered with warring emotions, desperately wanting this frightening change to just…**stop**...yet … desperately wanting to prove she was worthy of Barbara's love…to prove how much her love meant to her.

Her gaze shot up to the ceiling, almost as if a silent plea for help from a higher being. Suddenly, her harness tightened around her; the cables attaching her to the floor creaked, becoming very taut. Startled, Helena quickly glanced around uneasily, and felt the harness and cables slacken.

Curious about the response, she looked up at the ceiling again, wishing she could be free of this uncertainty and worthy of the best thing that ever happened to her; once again, the harness and cables strained under the tension as her body lifted and tried to go up. She looked around again, surprised and a bit uncomfortable; the cables began to slacken. Looking at the floor, wishing she could just put her feet down like a normal person, her body started to slowly sink towards the floor.

Her toes touched, followed by both feet. When her feet were firmly planted on the ground, she exhaled with happy surprise before tears overwhelmed her. She couldn't help but feel tremendous relief or ignore that wonderful feeling of normalcy of just standing.

"Heh," she snorted at the thought of being normal. She certainly wasn't it, she considered as she wiped her eyes before her gaze curiously drifted to the ceiling again. She wondered if her ability to stand normally was just a temporary aberration or something she could actually control.

Needing to find out, she reached towards the ceiling, wanting to go up. Quickly, the cables became taught and creaked as the fasteners groaned. Before she could stop and ease the pain from the harness that bit painfully into her shoulders, the strain popped the metal plate from the floor, unexpectedly launching her up.

"Shi…!" she cried, just before crashing loudly into the ceiling. "Ooof!"

Quickly losing her buoyancy, she fell to the ground with a heavy thud, accompanied by debris raining down from the newly dented ceiling.

After an aggravated moan, she sat up and hissed "God damnit," as she dusted off the debris and coughed.

**/BoP\**

"What's wrong, Barbara?" Jim Gordon asked his daughter, who buried herself in his warm embrace as they sat on the couch. "Did Helena do something stupid?" He asked bluntly.

"No!" she answered with surprise. Why did he automatically assume that, she wondered with irritation. "It's just…she's . . . she's . . ." Barbara blurted pulling back from his hug, not having thought through what she'd actually say to her father. All she knew was that she needed his comforting hug. Now she was stuck. "Uh…."

"In trouble?" He guessed gently, almost amused by his daughter's unusually inarticulate response.

Barbara looked at him uneasily.

"I can't help if I don't know what's wrong, honey," he said, searching her eyes, wanting to help more than anything. It was truly a rare event for his fiercely independent and capable daughter to seek anyone's help, let alone his – _**especially**_ after her shooting; he was damned sure he was going to do everything in his power to help her.

"You . . . can't help her. I'm not sure _**I**_ can help her," she blurted with frustration. "And she's giving up," Barbara admitted miserably, rare tears stinging her eyes as she fell silent, wishing she could just tell him everything.

"Oh…" he said with some insight. "There was a time I thought you were going to give up. You remember refusing to go to physical therapy?"

Barbara sucked in a breath to answer, but just nodded remembering those dark days.

"There was nothing anyone could say to you to get you to change your mind. Not even Helena, the first few dozen times," he said with a chuckle.

"She didn't give up on me," Barbara said softly, knowing she had nearly given up on herself if it wasn't for Helena.

"I thought you finally agreed because she was so damned annoying and you were tired of hearing her harass you about it," he said with a smirk.

"She did wear me down. She has that way about her," Barbara said with a small smile that faded. "But even if she doesn't give up…I'm not sure there's anything that can be done to help her," she admitted worriedly.

The only other time Jim had seen her so troubled was after she learned she'd never regain the use of her legs. He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to elaborate. Scratching the back of his neck, he uncomfortably guessed a vague why. "Barbara, perhaps . . . Bruce could help?"

She looked at him with surprise, seeing his encouraging smile. "W…Why would you think he could help?" Barbara asked guardedly.

"Well, besides having impressive resources and being Helena's father . . . I know he has solved difficult and unusual . . . _situations_ . . . in the past," Jim said hesitantly.

Barbara looked at him with great curiosity but couldn't bring herself to ask what else her father knew.

"Barbara, I have been a friend to Bruce for many years and know about his extra-curricular activities," Jim finally offered, carefully adding "and yours."

Barbara blinked. "Oh?" she said uncertainly.

"I _**can**_ put two and two together, you know," he said wryly. "And I know there are others helping the citizens of New Gotham who are not the Police . . . like Batman and you . . . and I believe, Helena now."

"You . . . never said anything," Barbara said uneasily, not knowing if she should be relieved or worried.

"Neither did you," Jim countered with mild irritation.

"That would have gone over well. Hey Dad, guess what new hobby I have?" Barbara countered drolly.

"I suppose there are _some_ secrets that are best to keep. And what father wants to think about his baby girl is fighting crime outside the law and risking her life?" Jim offered honestly, looking down at her paralyzed legs with a sad frown.

"I made a difference," she said defensively and firmly adding with conviction "I _**am**_ making a difference."

Jim eyed his daughter with a proud smile. "I know. Better than most. I _**am**_ proud of you, honey. So very much," he said sincerely, hugging her.

"That's… nice to hear, Dad," Barbara admitted awkwardly, savoring the warmth and acceptance.

"It's nice to say," he admitted softly. "So what's going on with Helena?"

Barbara sighed and leaned into his hug and told him.

**/BoP\**

"Helena?" Dinah said with alarm, rushing into the training room. She came to an abrupt stop when she saw Helena lying back down on the floor and staring up at the ceiling with a heavy exhale. "Oh no," Dinah said with dread. "Are you OK?!" she said worriedly, kneeling at her side and reaching out only to have her hands slapped away with annoyance.

"Does it LOOK like I'm ok?" Helena growled and sat up again, catching the hurt look on Dinah's face. Helena sighed guiltily. "Sorry. I know you want to help," Helena said, wearily combing her fingers through her hair, which caused more particles to rain down and another cough.

Dinah sat down next to her and looked up. "D…did that just spontaneously happen?" she asked worriedly.

"I think I just spontaneously float, not become a projectile," Helena offered with a frown, also looking at the damage above.

"Then…what happened?" Dinah asked cautiously.

Helena looked at her uneasily. "I was trying to see if I could go up."

Dinah blinked. "You deliberately did that?!"

"I did **not** deliberately try to do _**that**_!" Helena hissed, pointing to the hole in the ceiling. "That just kinda . . . happened," she finished weakly and scratched the back of her head.

"Well, you're on the ground again, so that has to be a good thing, right?" Dinah offered cheerfully, missing the incredulous glare, as she picked up a sheared bolt and studied it a thoughtful moment before smiling brightly. "This. Is. So. Cool!" she exclaimed.

"What?"

"This was rated for 50,000 pounds and you sheared this."

Helena smiled weakly, not appreciating the point, which may have had something to do with her mild concussion, she considered as she coughed on the dust again.

"You wanted to go up and you _**did**_," she said pointedly, then added excitedly "Do it again!"

"Crash into the ceiling?" Helena grimaced, wondering if Dinah somehow managed to get a concussion too….

Dinah rolled her eyes. "Levitate up! Come on!" Dinah hopped to her feet with a big smile.

Helena looked at her cautiously as she slowly stood up, not exactly wanting to get hurt more.

"This will be great! Just wait until Barbara sees you!"

"Whoa, big D. You're getting ahead of yourself," Helena cautioned, brushing some more debris out of her hair.

"I think you can do it, Helena. Just try it again. Please?" Dinah said with a pout.

Helena frowned, making Dinah pout more. "Fine!" she said with exasperation, getting Dinah to smile happily and clap her hands. Helena shook her head.

"W…What are you doing?" Dinah quickly said when Helena's arm slipped around her waist.

Helena smiled tightly. "You're coming with me."

"Uh…" Dinah blurted with alarm.

"Not so confident now, huh?" Helena said in challenge, withdrawing her arm to cross both over her chest, proving a point.

Guilt washed over Dinah. "No. No. You **can** do it, Helena. I _**know**_ it," Dinah said earnestly, grabbing her arm back and placing it around her as she looked up.

"You don't have to," Helena said uncomfortably, retracting her arm again, though she did appreciate the kid's gesture.

"I know. But let's **do** this," Dinah said boldly, grabbing her arm again, which Helena yanked back.

"No! I don't want you to get hurt too."

"You won't hurt me," Dinah said confidently, reaching for her arm which she narrowly missed as Helena jumped back.

"I might, if you keep grabbing my arm," she growled with irritation. "Stop it," she said as Dinah dove for her arm again and once again Helena jumped back.

"Make me," Dinah said with a grin.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 6…


	6. Chapter 6 - Hope

**Primal Instinct II:**

**0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Hope**

At lunchtime, Barbara rolled out of the Clock Tower elevator with her father following. A cacophony of crashes and thuds greeted them. Jim looked to his daughter curiously, wondering if that was normal. From the concerned look on her face, he quickly concluded it wasn't.

"What the…Helena?" Barbara said with alarm as she rolled towards the training room.

She and Jim stopped, trying to comprehend what they were seeing. Besides what looked like a war zone, with weapons and building debris littered all over, the two occupants were…in the air.

"Put me down!" Dinah cried angrily, twisting with great frustration, looking up at Helena, who was happily holding her by the ankle as the blood rushed to the blonde's head.

"If you insist," Helena laughed and let go of her ankle.

"NO!" Dinah cried, quickly putting her arms out to hopefully break her fall to the rapidly advancing floor, not even thinking to create a protective bubble. With a sudden jerk, her fall stopped and she was eased down to the ground.

Once to safety, Dinah scrambled to stand and angrily threw a telekinetic ball at Helena, whose eyes widened before she dove out of the way, letting the energy fly past and hit the wall with a loud bang, making the room shudder and more debris to rain down from the hole in the ceiling.

"Enough!" Barbara shouted, causing the two combatants to immediately freeze. "WHAT is going on?!" She bellowed as she rolled into the room, crunching over some of the debris.

Dinah and Helena glanced at each other uneasily as their unexpected guest followed Barbara.

Jim withheld a smile, wondering if Barbara always had to put up with this. If so, it must get expensive, he considered, glancing around the wreckage.

"Answer me," Barbara demanded, rolling up to the two young women.

Dinah mumbled something so softly Barbara couldn't hear but Helena did and snorted, earning a glare from Barbara.

"What?" Barbara snapped, turning her gaze to Dinah.

"Sparring?" Dinah repeated weakly with a shrug.

"Uh, Barbara?" Helena asked softly, briefly gaining Barbara's gaze, before it went past her to curiously notice the broken harness and cabling.

"Your _**Dad**_ is here," Helena stated pointedly. Dinah smiled weakly at the amused man, who just saw them use their meta-powers.

"Your powers of observation are truly impressive, Helena," Jim said dryly.

Barbara looked back at her father, who smiled and had a sparkle in his eye. "And it looks like you have a bit more control over…that," he noted with encouragement, vaguely motioning towards the young woman and ceiling, causing Barbara to finally grasp that incredibly important point.

"Hel?" Barbara looked at her with such hope it broke Helena's heart.

Helena took Barbara's hand and knelt before her. "I think . . . I'm getting the hang of this, Barbara," she offered earnestly with a squeeze.

Unbidden, tears welled up in Barbara's eyes as she let out an uneasy breath.

"Oh Barbara. I'm so, so sorry," Helena said guiltily, reaching out to cup her face, wiping her thumb through a trail of tears as her own eyes welled up. "I know I hurt you but you've gotta belie…." Helena said but was interrupted when Barbara reached out and pulled her up, into a deep, passionate kiss, needing that connection.

Jim blinked. Although pleased Helena apologized for her hurtful, defeatist comments, he really didn't need to witness his little girl do THAT.

"Lunch?" Dinah suggested to him uncomfortably, getting a quick nod before the two fled for the kitchen.

Pulling back from the kiss, Barbara looked pointedly into Helena's golden eyes. "If you _**ever**_ even _**hint**_ about giving up again…" she hoarsely warned.

"You'll kick my ass," Helena finished for her, their foreheads resting against each other as their hands possessively held onto necks, shoulders, and cheeks. "I am SO sorry, Barbara," Helena said again.

"I know. But sweetie, we're going to have more hurdles; it's the nature of our lives. But we can Never. Ever. Give up," Barbara said forcefully, looking into Helena's eyes. "That's not who we are," she added with conviction.

Helena nodded uncomfortably. "You're stronger than I am," she admitted and prevented Barbara's ready protest with gentle fingers on her lips. "And I'm more selfish," Helena added, gaining a frown beneath her fingertips. "And I'll keep stumbling and making mistakes, but I **swear **to you, I will keep trying to be better …for you."

Barbara grabbed her hand that dropped from her lips and squeezed tightly. "Hel, you were scared. I know that. So was I. I still am," she admitted reluctantly. "I don't know if this ability to control your levitation is going to improve or be fleeting. But I _**need**_ you. Do you hear me? In whatever condition you are in," Barbara declared intensely.

Helena enjoyed the wonderful warmth of Barbara's love. "Well _**that**_ sounds really optimistic," she said dryly.

"Dinah's the optimistic one, remember?" Barbara softly chuckled.

"Annoyingly so," Helena offered. "Speaking of your father…" she inelegantly changed the subject with a thin smile, looking at Barbara, who shifted uncomfortably; she hadn't meant to disclose their secret without their agreement. "It must have been a surprise to see us sparring…in the air, but oddly, he didn't look surprised," Helena said conversationally. "Either he's a man I never want to play poker with or…."

"You don't want to play poker with him," Barbara interjected honestly. Helena rolled her eyes. "And he had been a closer friend to Bruce than I had realized."

"Huh," Helena offered thoughtfully.

"Yeah. Huh," Barbara said with a small smile.

"I'm glad you have him . . . to talk to," Helena said sincerely. "You're a chip off the ol' block; his little girl fights crime," she teased, pinching her check and getting her hand swatted away. Helena grinned.

"It was nice to talk to him about…everything," Barbara admitted softly, glancing around the debris.

A guilty look crossed Helena's face again before her eyes dropped.

Barbara reached out and caressed her cheek, prompting Helena to meet her gaze. "Water under the bridge. All right?" She asked softly, getting a small nod.

"Your arm!" Barbara blurted with alarm as she reached out to gently grab the limb, now without a cast.

"Just tender… hard to kick Dinah's ass with a cast," Helena joked.

Barbara frowned. "I'll put another one on."

"No," Helena protested, getting a pointed look of disagreement. "It's too itchy!" Helena whined, causing Barbara to roll her eyes. "Come on, it's healed. See?" She demonstrated the mobility of her limb.

"Fine," Barbara exhaled wearily, causing Helena to smile happily.

Helena started to levitate and got a few inches off the floor but she stopped herself and with wobbly effort lowered herself to the ground. "Ta da!" she joked with a self-conscious shrug; she knew she was a far cry from being graceful.

Barbara's eyes widened at the display, then dropped thoughtfully. "Dad suggested . . . Bruce might be able to help us," she said hesitantly, looking at Helena anxiously.

Helena stiffened.

"Hel, we shouldn't rule any options out," Barbara quickly blurted.

"You know, I'm pretty sure Batman couldn't fly…" Helena noted conversationally. "Well, except from his responsibilities," she added coldly, walking out of the training room.

"Helena," Barbara said with a groan as her lover marched off. She pinched the bridge of her nose. With a frustrated exhale, Barbara rolled after her.

/BoP\

Helena walked into the kitchen, where Jim and Dinah were making sandwiches.

"You want a turkey sandwich?" Jim asked as he cut a tomato and Dinah got the bread from the counter.

"That would be great," Helena said with a small smile as Barbara rolled in behind her.

"Hey Barbara, your father is a chef!" Helena offered with a smile and headed to the refrigerator.

Jim did not need to be a telepath to sense the tension between the two. He glanced at Dinah, who frowned.

"That's a bit of a stretch," Jim offered with a forced chuckle.

"Anyone who can make something more than a bowl of cereal or pop tarts is a chef to Helena," Dinah noted.

"In my younger days, I couldn't afford much more than cereal or pop tarts," Jim said, finishing another sandwich.

"You like pop tarts?" Helena asked with interest, placing a carton of milk on the table.

"Uh…sure, doesn't everybody?" Jim shrugged.

"Apparently not - your daughter hates them," Helena said, crossing her arms over her chest, looking at Barbara.

"I never said I hated them," Barbara said defensively.

"You said you didn't care for them," Helena responded.

"True, b…," Barbara corrected.

"Ha!" Helena interrupted in victory.

Barbara's mouth dropped in amazement. Then she just shook her head, electing not to continue the pointless argument. She glanced at Helena, who smirked and placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. Barbara's hand covered Helena's and caressed it. The previous tension between them quickly dissipated.

Jim smiled as he finished assembling the sandwiches, considering Barbara certainly had her hands full with Helena.

/BoP\

After Dinah left for her friend's house, Barbara showed her father the Tower and Delphi. "So this is how you do it," Jim said, glancing at the multiple screens and computer system with interest.

"This is how **we** do it," Barbara clarified firmly.

Jim looked at her with a smile, knowing she was the brains behind the operation, but nodded. He noted her gaze once again drift towards Helena, who stood out on the balcony, staring out over New Gotham.

"I wish she wouldn't go out there," Barbara said softly, still worried about Helena's control of her newfound skill.

"She really didn't like the idea of Bruce helping, did she?" Jim said softly, knowing Helena was upset. It didn't take a seasoned Detective to know Helena despised her hero-father for not preventing her mother from being murdered or staying around afterwards when they all learned Helena was his daughter.

"That's an understatement," Barbara said with a sigh. "I wish she had with Bruce what I have with you. But I'm pretty sure that will never happen. She sees him as a man who was supposed to be a hero, but ran away from his responsibilities at the worst time in our lives."

Jim frowned. "How do you see him?" he asked curiously.

She was surprised by the question but gave it some thought before answering. "As a man," she said simply, which before the shooting and his disappearance, would never have been her answer. He had been her mentor and inspiration, a true hero. "A flawed man who had limits…and who let his heartache and guilt consume him."

"I...didn't help any," Jim said with a heavy sigh, gaining a curious look. "When you were shot, he needed a friend but I was an angry father," he admitted reluctantly, surprising Barbara. "I blamed him for getting you caught up in that dangerous life, which I now accept was your choice," he offered, stopping her ready rebuttal.

He sighed thoughtfully. "I wonder, had I been that friend, would he have stayed and been the father he should have been to Helena?" Jim looked at his daughter uneasily, the guilt still weighing on him.

Barbara shook her head gently. "There's no way to know. But even if Bruce had stayed, I don't think Helena would have been able to forgive him for Selena's death. She may have even turned to crime to spite him," Barbara offered truthfully, causing Jim to glance out at the balcony, thankful that didn't happen.

"What I do know is that having Helena with me, at that time in my life, was what I needed," Barbara said honestly. "She certainly didn't give me much time to wallow in self-pity," she added wryly, causing Jim to chuckle softly, both recalling the many brushes with the law and authority figures. Still seeing the unease in his eyes, she added "You shouldn't beat yourself up, Dad. It turned out better than I could have hoped. And I think she didn't turn out too bad being with me," Barbara said, grasping his hand and squeezing.

"I think she was lucky you thrive on challenges," Jim offered with amusement.

Barbara grinned and looked at him curiously. "Have you seen him since he left?"

"No. But I would imagine Alfred is in contact with him," Jim said, getting an absent nod from Barbara, who had the same suspicion but never broached the subject before, knowing it would have placed Alfred in an awkward position.

"Are you going to try and contact him?" Jim asked curiously, noting his daughter's worried gaze seek out Helena again.

"No. I think he would only add stress to an already stressful situation."

Jim nodded.

/BoP\

With her father gone, Barbara rolled out onto the balcony.

"Sorry I wasn't more social," Helena said softly, continuing to look out over the skyline.

"It's ok. Why don't we go back inside?" She said uneasily as she rolled next to Helena and looked at her expectantly.

Helena briefly studied her. "You still worried that I'll float away?"

Barbara nodded uncomfortably.

"Let's go inside then," Helena said reasonably, surprising Barbara, who expected a litany of complaints about her worrying too much or that she was fine or that she had it under control. She hadn't expected Helena to acquiesce.

"Thank you," Barbara said sincerely.

"So the Kid's gone, your father's gone, and we're all alone," she said conversationally. "By ourselves," Helena added with a smirk as she followed Barbara into the Tower.

"You want to have sex," Barbara said flatly, stopping.

"You make that sound like a bad thing," Helena pouted, then smiled brightly and announced, "Of course I do!"

"So THAT's why you were so willing to come back inside," Barbara accused.

"So you don't want to have sex?" Helena asked with frown.

"Helena!" she said incredulously.

"Barbara, you can _**not**_ blame me for wanting you! It's…it's a force of nature!" she cried dramatically. Barbara blinked. "It's like…needing to breathe! And we all need to _**breathe**_, right?" Helena argued innocently, prompting a begrudgingly amused chuckle from the redhead at her impeccable logic. "And you are So. Fucking. Hot!" Helena growled softly and eyed Barbara, who watched the light blue turn into golden, lust-filled cat-eyes, which always was an incredibly arousing sight.

"Bedroom!" Barbara ordered, turning her chair abruptly and rolled towards said destination. Helena smiled happily and followed.

/BoP\

"OOOh!" Barbara moaned in climax as Helena took care of her…again. As she regained her breath, she felt Helena's lips traveling over her shoulder, down her chest to a taut nipple, which was enveloped by a warm, skilled mouth.

"Helena," Barbara moaned as another jolt of arousal surged. "Sweetie. Enough," Barbara gasped as the plentiful sensations now bordered on almost painful.

Helena looked at her with concern.

"Sometimes there is a thing as too much pleasure," Barbara explained with a wry chuckle.

"Crazy talk!" Helena huffed, then gently kissed Barbara's very kissable shoulder.

"Perhaps, but true. And, you need to let me catch my breath so I can return the favor…or rather, many favors," Barbara offered with desire in her eyes as she caressed Helena's cheek.

"I'm not keeping count, you know," Helena said awkwardly.

"Well, it IS a rather large number," Barbara joked, then quickly realized Helena was not finding it amusing. She searched her lover's eyes curiously. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

Helena winced, not wanting to talk; she just wanted to show Barbara how much she loved her.

"Hel?" Barbara encouraged, growing worried about Helena's change in demeanor.

"I . . . ," Helena said then fell silent, really uncomfortable and annoyed with herself for her awkward comment and reaction.

"I _**need**_ you to talk to me, Hel," Barbara said with growing concern.

"I just . . . I get worried, ok?" Helena said weakly.

Barbara blinked, then guessed at the problem as she looked towards the ceiling where Helena had previously floated to unexpectedly. "You've been making remarkable progress, Hel," she said with encouragement.

"Yeah. But in the right areas?" Helena said with a humorless snort, prompting a confused look. She shook her head and sat up, the sheets pooling at her waist.

Barbara shifted and sat up as well, looking at a distraught Helena. "Sweetie, tell me," she said, kissing the back of Helena's bare shoulder and wrapping her arms around her.

"I don't want to screw this up, Red," Helena said, motioning between the two of them.

"Neither do I."

Helena rolled her eyes. "Right. If anyone is more likely to screw this up, it's obviously me," she scoffed at the notion Barbara could possibly screw anything up.

"I strongly disagree. I'm more demanding and clearly have made you doubt our relationship," Barbara said with a frown.

"You have not!" she argued. "Who's the one who retreated when things got hard? Hurting you by…." Helena blurted guiltily, silenced by firm fingers on her lips.

"Helena…how many years did I hurt you?" Barbara asked guiltily, retracting her hand.

"Wh…Years?" Helena balked in surprise. "Maybe you were right about too much pleasure, I think your brain has shorted out," she said flatly, looking over Barbara's face critically.

"I'm serious. How many years had you known how you felt for me while I, the all seeing all knowing _**Oracle**_, had been clueless of what was right in front of me?" Barbara said with irritation for her blindness.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything!"

"Clearly, I am not understanding," Helena complained, plopped back on the bed, stared at the ceiling and mumbled "Or maybe your neurons need a vacation…."

"Did you try to hurt me?" Barbara asked simply, looking down at her lover.

"NO! That's the last thing I would want!" Helena quickly blurted, worriedly sitting back up.

"And I didn't intend to hurt you by being _oblivious_ to your love for me_," _Barbara said with a tinge of annoyance. "But I did hurt you, Helena," she said, making Helena take a breath to interrupt and dismiss it. "Like you hurt me," Barbara quickly noted, preempting Helena's interruption but gaining a wince. "**Unintentionally,"** Barbara stressed pointedly. "And hurt, unintentional or not, is always a risk with the ones you love," she said softly, caressing Helena's cheek.

"Hel," Barbara said as her hand dropped to Helena's shoulder and squeezed in emphasis as she looked into her eyes. "We can't be caught up in the "what ifs" or fear of possibly making another mistake of hurting each other, because it _**will**_ happen," Barbara lectured, then shook her head and admitted with brutal honestly "If we wasted time thinking about all the things that could go wrong between us, it would be very hard to get up in the morning and face the day."

Helena looked at her a quiet moment, then started to chuckle as she stuck an arm behind her head as a pillow.

"What?" Barbara said, clearly not understanding what was so funny.

"You do realize you _**really**_ suck at pep talks, right?" Helena giggled.

"But do you understand what I am trying to say?" Barbara said doggedly with mild irritation.

"Yeah," Helena said as her laughter subsided and she traced her fingers affectionately down Barbara's arm. Barbara placed a hand over Helena's and warmly squeezed. "Even though you are as bad at talking about relationship stuff as I am. Which is rather comforting …in an odd way," Helena added with a chuckle.

"Glad I could provide you comfort," Barbara grumbled and pulled the sheet up as she lay back down.

"You do. But you know, I am much more comfortable doing things than talking about them," Helena said honestly, also lying down and rolling on her side with her head propped on her hand.

Barbara eyed her a serious moment. "I do know that. But we will still need to talk from time to time," she said firmly. "I'm not Dinah, you know," Barbara noted.

"Oh, ewww. We're naked in bed together and you _**had**_ to mention the kid?" Helena complained, prudishly pulling the sheet up to cover her body.

Barbara chuckled at the look of disgust on Helena's face. "Sorry," she said without sincerity and a whole lot of amusement.

Helena frowned and stared at the ceiling, ignoring Barbara. Ignoring the way a gentle hand found its way under the sheet, to her sensitive stomach. Ignoring the electrifying touch as the fingers of that hand caressed her flesh. Ignoring the intensity of those green eyes as they looked possessively at the beauty before her, making Helena's hairs stand on end.

Helena tried to ignore the tingling sensation as sensuous lips enveloped her earlobe and an arousing tongue toyed with it.

Helena blinked and swallowed as the sensuous lips and arousing tongue slowly and reverently migrated to her neck, leaving a warm wet trail, which ignited a surge of desire as a delicious hum vibrated against her skin. "Are you sure there isn't something I can do, to make up to you for ruining the mood?"

Barbara already knew the answer to that obvious question; Helena could feel Barbara's smug smile against her skin. Helena shifted slightly to look into Barbara's bright eyes, her own morphing into cat-slits. After a taking a breath to answer the only answer she could give, an obnoxious blaring of Delphi interrupted.

"Fuck," Helena exhaled in defeat.

Barbara bit her lip in sympathy, then glanced over towards the door and Delphi uncertainly as if actually debating whether she should ignore it.

"Good GOD I _**am**_ a bad influence on you!" Helena said incredulously and slid out of bed, grabbing their clothing strewn around the bedroom in their frantic disrobing. "We've…" Helena announced, tossing Barbara's jeans and top to her but pausing with her panties, on which her superior olfactory senses could still detect Barbara's arousal. With a grimace, she valiantly fought through her distraction and handed Barbara's panties to her. "We…We've got people to save and …stuff," Helena added absently, then stopped her internal debate with a brisk shake of her head.

"Never let it be said," Helena announced as she slipped on her underwear then her jeans, hopping on one foot, "that I actually _**succeeded**_ in corrupting our fair Barbara Gordon from her duty." She looked for her bra, which had somehow got under the bed. When she pulled it out, she frowned. "Not mine," she declared, staring at it a longing moment before reluctantly handing it to Barbara.

Barbara grasped Helena's hand, gaining Helena's uncertain gaze. Her other hand cupped Helena's cheek. "You are _**not**_ a bad influence on me."

Helena sighed and grumbled, "I will be, if you keep caressing my cheek, Red."

"I love you," she said simply, knowing Helena would always try to do the right thing, in spite of her grumbled warnings or internal arguments.

"Not helping the hero cause **at all**, Red," Helena warned, then sternly huffed "Get dressed, we've got people to save…and stuff."

Barbara smiled lovingly at Helena, who bristled. "What? You're the one who has always thought the citizens of New Gotham are worthy of saving. Though, if you ask me, I'd say _**maybe**_ a third are. Give or take…most likely take…"

As Helena rambled, Barbara chuckled quietly and efficiently donned her clothes.

/BoP\

Barbara rolled up on the dais and put her glasses on. Typing on the keyboard, she brought up several screens of information to understand what tripped Delphi's alarm.

"Another sighting of lizard guy," Barbara announced eagerly, typing another command and bringing up a traffic camera.

"Where is that?" Helena asked anxiously, seeing an overturned container truck but no lizard guy. He had fled once again.

"I-89 out of Blüdhaven," Barbara said.

"Isn't that a sign for plutonium?" Helena asked with alarm, noting the distinctive tri-foil transportation placard.

"It's for radioactive material. It could be anything radioactive…" Barbara noted absently, zooming in on the license. She quickly searched the DMV database, then the truck company's shipping records. "Plutonium," Barbara confirmed, making Helena smirk with satisfaction. "5 kilograms of it."

"Aren't typical warheads about that amount?" Helena blurted with surprising insight.

"Yes," Barbara said and asked curiously "How did you know that?"

"I can read, you know," Helena said defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And you just happened to read up on nuclear bombs?" Barbara asked with surprise.

"Well…I uh, actually saw it on a show about blowing things up," Helena admitted reluctantly; she'd never be a doctor. Or war-hero. Or crime-fighting genius.

Barbara nodded. "It looks like explosives were used to overturn the truck," she offered.

"Peter Fry's work?"

"Possibly."

"I think I might get there in about 45 minutes…as the crow flies," Helena announced with a smirk.

"What?!" Barbara blurted with alarm, getting a frown from Helena. Forcing a calming breath, Barbara responded again, in a calmer tone. "Why? He's gone," she said logically, firmly believing Helena trying to fly to Blüdhaven was not a good idea.

"To pick on Nightwing for letting lizard guy get away with Plutonium?" she muttered sarcastically.

"You could do that over the phone," Barbara countered.

Helena sighed, then offered. "Maybe I could pick up his trail?"

"Hel, I really don't think that's a good idea," Barbara said gently. "Blüdhaven is too far away for your first…outing."

Helena shook her head. "You can't keep me on a leash, Barbara. I don't do leashes!" She blurted in frustration.

"Is that what you think I'm doing?" Barbara said, hurt. "You just stopped spontaneously levitating, Hel!"

Helena exhaled heavily, not wanting to hurt Barbara but needing to do something. "You've hooked me up to every piece of lab equipment you have and sampled my blood like a bazillion times – and what?" Helena argued calmly. "We're not going to figure this out by more tests. I'm a learn-by-doing, kind of gal. Keeping me here isn't helping us understand anything. I need to . . . spread my wings," Helena said poignantly; Barbara was not happy, making her wish they had just stayed in bed. "And we have a few criminals to put away, who like to blow things up and just stole bomb-grade plutonium!" she pointed out.

Barbara frowned.

"You want to fly to Blüdhaven," Barbara said flatly, getting a nod from Helena, knowing she was hell-bent on going unless she could convince her otherwise. Glancing out to the balcony a moment, it came to her - the perfect argument to keep her at the Tower, she considered, with a thin, satisfied smile. Sure it would be exploiting Helena's main weakness, but Barbara was ready to fight dirty to change Helena's mind.

/BoP\

"If you don't stop touching it, it'll fall off!" Barbara blurted with annoyance.

"It itches," Helena complained, causing Barbara to roll her eyes.

"You'll get used to it," Barbara grumbled, annoyed she couldn't convince her flying to Blüdhaven was a bad idea…and that it took this trip for Helena to finally agree to wear a sensible mask, contrary to her long-standing objections that it insulted her fashion sense.

"It does look quite dashing on you, Miss Helena," Alfred said approvingly, quite proud of his creation - and his ability to so quickly respond to her need for a mask. Though truth be told, he had already anticipated Helena would require a mask at some point in her crime-fighting career and had one already made – as any good butler would. "Are you sure you wouldn't like a costume with a cape as well?" he offered eagerly. "I just happen to …"

"Uh…No, thank you, Alfred," Helena interjected quickly, then elaborated, "I saw the Incredibles. Capes? Not such a good idea," she said seriously, and scratched her cheek below her mask…that she really did not think did anything to complement her overall outfit. At least it wasn't hideous….

"You are making crime-fighting wardrobe decisions based on a cartoon?" Barbara asked incredulously.

"Animated movie," Helena corrected her, earning a glare from her unimpressed and still unhappy lover. "Hey, good advice is good advice, regardless of the packaging," Helena sagely tossed out. Barbara sighed.

"Well, I'm ready," Helena announced confidently, looking between Alfred and Barbara, who both sported worried looks about the first _intentional_ aerial outing.

"And with _**that**_ rousing cheer of support, I'm off," she said with disappointment, heading to the balcony.

"Helena, wait," Barbara said, rolling after her.

Helena stopped and looked at Barbara with a sigh, expecting another argument. "I…" Barbara started but paused thoughtfully. "Don't be too long," she said instead, pulling Helena into a tender kiss.

"Huh," Barbara responded with surprise and pulled back.

"What?"

"It itches," Barbara offered, rubbing her cheek.

"They _**say**_ you'll get used to it," Helena said wryly and kissed her quickly again before heading out the balcony doors.

Torn between covering her eyes and watching, Barbara's curiosity won out; she rolled onto the balcony after Helena.

Helena took a deep breath and glanced at Barbara, who nodded with a forced smile of encouragement, which was not exactly encouraging.

"I'm glad you never tried to make a living as a cheerleader. You suck at it," Helena said bluntly then jumped off the ledge, causing Barbara to draw in a startled breath and roll out, closer to the edge to see Helena descend rather quickly, like a rock.

"Hel!" Barbara gasped, watching Helena's arms flap and body twist and wobble before she slowed her decent and made some forward motion – towards the office building adjacent to them. A building she got to see up close and personal…when she slammed into it.

Barbara cringed and quickly tapped her coms link. "Hel?! Come back _**now**_," she said urgently. "No! No, uh, just…just land and I'll come and…" Barbara anxiously corrected her previous order as she thought about the best and least harmful avenue.

"Hard...ly even a … scratch, Oracle," Helena interrupted tensely, now free from any nearby skyscrapers and gaining altitude. "Mask still itches," she offered, starting to gain confidence as she leveled out and flew further away from the Tower.

"Huntress, you are going the wrong direction. Blüdhaven is West," Barbara offered uneasily, her misgivings about this outing growing exponentially as she watched Helena grow smaller in the sky.

"I'm … just getting the hang of going straight," Helena answered with irritation.

Barbara shook her head in frustration and rolled back inside. At Delphi, she called up the map and studied Helena's GPS signal for several long minutes, unaware when Alfred quietly placed a cup of tea and some Oreos by her keyboard and left for the kitchen. Barbara shut her eyes and counted to ten. "Huntress?" she said calmly.

"_Yeah?"_

"Are you planning on turning anytime soon?" Barbara asked tersely as she noted Helena's position, now several miles off course. After getting no answer, Barbara pinched the bridge of her nose. "Huntress, why don't you just land and I'll come and get you? Please?"

"_No, no. I'm . . . I'm turning . . . __**now**__," Helena ground out, as if she were moving an extremely heavy weight._

Scanning the map for any change, her eyes widened. "You're actually doing it!" Barbara said with clear amazement.

"_You still . . . suck at . . . cheerleading," Helena said, catching her breath._

"Give me an H," Barbara said flatly, picking up her tea and taking a sip.

"_Har, Dee. Har,"Helena responded, rolling her eyes. "It's a good thing you're a kickass crime fighter and teacher . . . you make a lousy comedian too."_

Barbara shook her head with mild amusement. "How fast do you think you can go?" she suddenly asked, tilting her head curiously.

"_Why don't we experiment later, after I've figured out how to stop," Helena suggested sweetly._

"Hel?" Barbara said with alarm.

"_Just kidding. I know how to stop. Just gotta find a building to slam into," Hel said dryly._

"Hel? Good thing you are a kickass crime fighter and bartender…" Barbara said flatly, shaking her head. She was not amused, at all. Though the sound of Helena's chuckle still managed to bring a small smile to her worried face.

/BoP\

After forty-nine minutes and fourteen seconds _**after**_ Helena finally headed in the correct direction, she was almost on top of the site of the vehicle crash.

"_Huntress? Can you see it yet?"_

"Hmm?"

"_Huntress? Can you see it yet?" Barbara repeated with irritation. Helena really did need to work on her focus…._

"Uh…yeah. Police are . . . ," Helena said tiredly, her voice weak.

"_Police are what, Huntress? Huntress?"_

Helena faintly heard Barbara's voice just before her foot touched the ground and she blacked out.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 7….


	7. Chapter 7 - Blüdhaven

**Primal Instinct II: ****0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Blüdhaven**

"Dick!" Barbara called anxiously as Dick Grayson opened his door. "Where is she?!" she said, rolling into his penthouse apartment.

"Blue guest room. Still unconscious," he reported concisely. "What's going on, Barbara? She shows up suddenly at a scene in Blüdhaven, in a _**mask**_, and passes out? Since when did she start wearing a _**mask**_? I almost didn't get to her before the police," Dick said with frustration, vividly recalling a younger Helena's very vocal rejection of wearing a crime fighting costume and especially a mask.

"Thank you for helping her," Barbara said uncomfortably, glancing towards the guest rooms.

"Why was she here? I was covering the plutonium heist. Is she suddenly expanding her territory or what?" Dick said tersely. He had hoped she'd at least respect his area or let him know she was coming.

Barbara sighed, knowing she should have called him about Helena's trip. But she had been too preoccupied with Helena's flight, she considered guiltily. He continued to glare at her, making her guilt fade as her annoyance grew; Helena was unconscious and yet he continued to be incredibly childish about territory. There was something about Helena that brought out the worst in him. Not that Helena was much better around Dick, she sighed heavily.

"I _**need**_ to see her; then I'll fill you in on our interest in the heist," she said in a tone he knew not to argue with.

He nodded reluctantly and watched her roll towards the guest rooms, still puzzled by her unflappable devotion to her former ward. When Barbara was newly paralyzed, he was shocked that Barbara had actually wanted and _**fought**_ for becoming Helena's guardian, adding to her already overwhelming personal burden. Helena had been a spoiled, selfish, juvenile delinquent, who caused her an inordinate amount of trouble. And her behavior had not improved with age, he considered with a frown, shaking his head.

/BoP\

Rolling to the blue guest room, Barbara struggled with the fear that washed over her; there were so many things she didn't understand about Helena's condition. And now, Helena was unconscious.

Entering and actually seeing the steady fall and rise of Helena's chest with her own eyes, she exhaled with relief. She rolled next to the bed and checked her pulse, which was thankfully strong.

"Hel?" she called out, gently shaking her shoulder. There was no response. Helena was out cold, she concluded with a worried look. Pulling out a penlight, Barbara checked Helena's eyes, gently lifting the lids and shining the light in them. Seeing her pupils respond properly, she let out another sigh of relief as she stole a small caress from Helena's brow. With the utmost care, she checked for other injuries. Thankful to find no new wounds or broken bones, she gently caressed Helena's cheek before placing a gentle, lingering kiss upon her lips.

/BoP\

Dick had poured them both a glass of Scotch. "You look like you could use this," he said, holding out the glass as she rolled towards him in the living room. She silently accepted and took a sip.

Sitting on the couch, he sipped his drink and eyed her. After several quiet moments, Dick asked. "So. What's going on with Helena?"

"She can fly now," she said simply with a heavy sigh, taking another sip.

Dick blinked with surprise. "I didn't know Meta powers could change over time," he said with confusion.

"As far as I know, they don't," she answered honestly, prompting a confused frown from Dick. "Helena was split in two. Literally. A scientist had developed a Metaphasic Z-particle Translocator which split her Meta side from her human side," she said, glancing at a stunned Dick.

"Her human side was taken to the hospital before I could get to her…." Barbara said, launching into the long, disturbing story for Dick, who occasionally glanced back to his guest room, injecting "wow" at times during the amazing account that included the last-minute plea from Helena to go forward with the remerging, in spite of the frightening uncertainty, to save the increasingly unstable Meta Helena.

"…and the device overloaded, blowing up before the complete reemerging sequence. It was 0.4 seconds too short. But Helena was finally whole and stable. She _looked_ fine," Barbara offered with an unamused laugh. "But it changed her. Now we know how – that 0.4 seconds missing has somehow given her the ability to fly," she finally concluded uncomfortably. "I don't know _**why**_," she blurted with frustration, "but it has."

He snorted. "Just what we need, another superpower to go along with her super ego," he muttered derisively.

"She's having a hard time adjusting, Dick. She's been having balance and buoyancy problems and is still learning how to fly," Barbara countered tersely, amazed he could be so insensitive after Helena's terrifying experience. "And I have _**no**_ idea why she is unconscious now," she relayed; her frustration growing as she glanced back worriedly at the guest room. "I didn't even think to bring my equipment for blood testing," she added in frustration, annoyed by her lack of focus.

"Sorry," he said weakly, not wanting to aggravate Barbara more. "It's just … you always seem to be cleaning up her messes. And now this? I bet she went blazing into that lab, not waiting for you to evaluate the situation for danger."

"Dick," Barbara sighed wearily, not wanting to hear his ready and plentiful criticisms, however accurate they might be.

"I just worry about her recklessness and how it affects you … and Dinah," he said sincerely, placing a hand on hers. "I still care about you, Barbara. So much," he said, squeezing her hand.

Barbara sighed, glancing at their hands before her chin was lifted and her lips were kissed.

Her eyes widened as she immediately pushed him away. "Dick!" she hissed, her clear rejection surprising him.

Helena's eyebrows rose as she sluggishly entered the living room.

"You can stop dangerous criminals but can't stop ex-boyfriends from attacking your lips?" Helena complained tiredly as she slowly approached them.

"Helena!" Barbara gushed with relief, rolling towards her with a smile. "How are you feeling? What happened? Are you ok?" she blurted in rapid succession.

"Exhausted. Passed out. I think so," she said simply, plopping down in a plush chair.

Barbara pulled her wheelchair next to Helena and felt her forehead, then cheeks. "No fever."

"That would take energy," Helena grumbled.

Barbara frowned. "I need to get you back to the Tower so I can run some tests."

"Yay," Helena said flatly, knowing what tests she meant. "More tests. I'm beginning to believe you're a vampire, considering your fix…ation on my blood," she said through a yawn. "Good thing I heal quickly or I'd look like a user with all the track marks," she noted grumpily, displaying her inner arms.

Barbara sighed, though took some consolation that Helena must not be that injured if she was actively complaining.

"She's trying to help you, Helena," Dick said with irritation. "The least you could do is show a little appreciation."

Helena sat up straighter and eyed him.

"Dick, stay out of this," Barbara cautioned.

"Why? So you can let her disrespect you again?"

"Stop, Dick. You really have no idea what you are talking about," she responded firmly.

"Barbara, I don't understand why you let her walk all over you," he complained, recalling how difficult it was for Barbara to deal with the rash and volatile teen, who apparently had not improved with age.

"Once a Dick, always a dick," Helena muttered wearily.

"Helena," Barbara scolded wearily, wishing the two would just get along.

Dick snarled at Helena's disrespectful attitude. "I saved your ass with the police! And brought you here, you ungrateful little..."

"Dick!" Barbara interjected, feeling a headache come on.

"Yeah, thank you for that," Helena said softly, a response he didn't expect. He eyed her skeptically, wondering if there was sarcasm behind the words of gratitude.

Barbara smiled slightly, pleased with Helena's response. Previously, she would have tried to further provoke Dick, making sport of it.

"I understand the police aren't too thrilled with people with _**masks**_. Itchy vigilante or not," Helena continued with a smirk, looking pointedly at Barbara.

"Masks are still prudent, Helena," Barbara stubbornly responded then took her hand and asked, "Are you feeling up to the drive back?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Helena said with some forced energy, expecting continued civility towards Dick would take too much out of her, especially if he continued to be an ass.

"Look, it's a long drive and it will be pretty late by the time you get back to New Gotham," Dick noted in a conciliatory tone. "You two are welcome to stay the night, I've got plenty of room; you can get an early start tomorrow. How does that sound?"

Dick noticed how Barbara looked at Helena expectantly, apparently agreeable to his offer.

Though not exactly thrilled with the prospect of spending more time around Dick, Helena also knew she'd likely fall asleep and have Barbara drive all the way back in silence, late at night.

"He's got a valid point. What would you like to do?" Helena asked.

"We'll stay. Thank you, Dick," Barbara said with a smile, squeezing Helena's hand.

"Anytime, Babs," he said with a grin.

"Hel?" Barbara called curiously as Helena patted her hand and slowly got up from the chair.

"I gonna get some sleep, Red."

"You haven't had dinner," Barbara said, worry clouding her features.

Dick rolled his eyes at her mothering.

"I need sleep," Helena said softly. "I'll eat later, 'kay?"

"Ok. Sweet dreams," Barbara said with a warm smile.

"Always," Helena said with a small smile. "Thanks again for taking care of me, Dick," she said, glancing at the stunned crime fighter.

"You're welcome, Helena," he said hesitantly, unused to the common pleasantry with Helena. His weak smile faded as he watched Helena tenderly kiss Barbara on the forehead before retiring to the blue guest room.

**/BoP\**

Barbara and Dick sat at the dinning room table, eating Indian takeout.

"So why do you think this Lizard man was after plutonium?" Dick asked and bit into a piece of curry chicken.

"Helena thinks for a bomb; I agree that's likely," she offered, not noticing his frown at the mention of her name. "Though, I've searched for unusual purchases that might indicate someone is creating a nuclear bomb but haven't come up with anything yet. Delphi is set up to alert me if there are suspicious procurements."

"Isn't a dirty bomb easier?" Dick asked curiously, sipping his wine.

"Definitely, but the amount stolen was, interestingly, just enough for a nuclear bomb. And he did recently blow up Gotham Federal Reserve with C4, which was also used to overturn the truck. We think Peter Fry, who just happens to be an expert with C4, is helping him," Barbara explained and shoved a forkful of rice into her mouth.

"Fry?"

Barbara nodded and swallowed, dabbing a napkin against her lips. "An arsonist convicted ten years ago for setting companies on fire for insurance money," Barbara noted.

"I know him. He's also been arrested for dealing drugs but released on a technicality," Dick noted with annoyance, piquing Barbara's interest. "The police's search was deemed illegal," he explained and added with frustration "the Judge ruled they didn't have probable cause."

"Hmm. Was his lawyer Carl Tucker?" She asked, sipping her tea.

"Yes," Dick noted with surprise.

Barbara nodded. "Helena and I suspect Carl Tucker is involved with the Lizard Guy – she detected accelerant on him," Barbara relayed with interest, missing the clear irritation that crossed Dick's face at the mention of Helena. Again. "I subsequently found a connection to Peter Fry. But I missed the drug case," Barbara admitted, a bit annoyed.

"Tucker got the record expunged," Dick said flatly, clearly not happy about how that went down.

"That _**would**_ make it more difficult to find with normal searches," Barbara offered with a sigh, making a mental note to alter her search algorithm.

"Why would Carl Tucker get involved in bank robbery?" Dick said with surprise. "He's loaded."

"No, his _**Grandfather**_ is," Barbara clarified. "And we've found Carl isn't getting a dime from his family. Tucker House will get it all," she added.

Dick nodded thoughtfully. "$10 million in gold from the New Gotham Federal Reserve would give him a nice nest egg."

"I don't think he's done," Barbara said, sipping her tea.

"Why not?"

"The accelerant Helena smelled on him was the same used at the Daley Furniture explosion, the Federal Reserve, and the Plutonium heist. And the Federal Reserve robbery involved the Lizard Guy, who was sighted during the Plutonium heist."

"The Press didn't mention the Lizard man being involved in the gold robbery," Dick noted curiously, eating some naan.

"He took out the Bank's security cameras with some sophisticated equipment. Helena and Dinah tried to stop him and almost lost their lives," Barbara admitted uncomfortably. "Helena managed to save them when they were batted off the roof."

Dick's lips pursed. Of course Helena did.

"So you think this Lizard man has a bigger target in mind?" Dick asked, not wanting to prolong discussion on Helena's heroics.

"He did steal plutonium," Barbara said and took a bite of chicken.

"Isn't it a little overkill – a nuclear bomb?" Dick said with mild amusement.

"Criminally _**insane**_, Dick?" Barbara countered pointedly.

"Yeah," Dick said, acknowledging the obvious. "But, who would have the knowledge to build a nuclear bomb? Peter Fry isn't known for being smart …just destructive. Maybe the Lizard man is a wiz," he said absently, then glanced at her and chuckled.

"What?"

"Almost like old times," Dick offered, gaining a smile. "It's nice," he admitted, reaching for her hand, which she pulled away to pick up her teacup. He noted her sudden discomfort, guessing the cause: Wade. But Helena's recent comment confused him. "So…what did Helena mean when she mentioned ex-boyfriends, _plural_ … and your lips?" he fished with an easygoing smile.

Barbara shook her head with a small smile at Helena's complaint about her slow reflexes in kiss prevention. Though Helena was right to be a bit annoyed, making her vow to be more aware of that…threat. "You remember Dr. Curtis Daniel Connors?" Barbara said and sipped her tea.

"No?" Dick frowned.

"We dated a short time in college. After I told my Dad I broke it off with Wade, he..."

"You broke it off with Wade?" Dick interjected, unable to help feeling hopeful by that news. "Why?"

Barbara sighed, not looking forward to this conversation with Dick, pretty certain he would not be thrilled with the recent developments in her love life.

"Sorry. I just thought you two were kind of…serious," Dick said uncomfortably, though he also thought Wade was rather dull; too dull for Barbara.

"Not that serious, Dick. My heart wasn't in it," she said and then took a fortifying breath before continuing. "I was in love with someone else, and we're together now," Barbara announced with a happy smile, surprising Dick, whose heart sank, along with any hope he might have had for rekindling a romance.

"With this Dr. Connors guy?" he asked tentatively. Barbara's light laugh confused him more.

"No. Definitely not Daniel," Barbara clarified with an amused smirk, which faded as she took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Helena," she announced firmly, bracing herself.

"You're joking," Dick blurted flatly.

"I'm very serious. I have never felt like this, Dick. I've never felt so _**much**_ before," Barbara said emphatically, hoping he could overcome his hostility towards Helena and just be happy for her. "I love her," she said with a small, amazed chuckle that bubbled up with a warm smile.

If he had bothered to look, he would have seen the happiness radiating from her as she spoke of Helena. But he didn't.

"Have you lost your mind?!" Dick snapped, his fists clenching. His long-held suspicion had finally been confirmed - Helena wanted to add Barbara to her long list of conquests! And what a prized trophy Barbara was – the former Batgirl, now Oracle, her own _**mentor**_ and guardian!

"Just my heart," she answered honestly.

"And she'll break it, Barbara. You _**know**_ how she is!" Dick blurted, baffled why Barbara didn't see it.

"Dick," Barbara warned sharply.

"Has she _**ever**_ had a relationship? NO! It's not in her DNA," Dick said, too righteously indignant to heed Barbara's warning. "She's selfish and a player; how long do you think she'll be at your side before she gets bored and moves on to some new piece of ass?" Dick spat angrily, prompting Barbara's eyes to narrow dangerously.

"Because the cripple can't possibly sexually satisfy someone as vibrant and passionate as Helena?" Barbara asked coldly, causing Dick's eyes to widen in alarm.

"NO! God, no. That's not what I'm saying at all," Dick quickly back peddled and exhaled in frustration. "I'm just worried about you, Barbara. She'll never have it in her to love you like you deserve."

"You know, Dick?" Barbara said with deceptive calm, taking the cloth napkin from her lap and placing it on the table. "I know you've never respected Helena but I've never realized just how little you respect me," Barbara said evenly, looking into his surprised eyes as she rolled back from the dinner table.

"Barbara, I _**do**_ respect you! I _**care**_ for you! I'm only telling you what you need to hear," he said imploringly, getting up to follow her. "You have this massive blind spot when it comes to Helena," he complained.

She stopped and turned towards him. "It seems you do as well, Dick," she countered flatly, making him rake his hand through his short, thick hair in frustration. "You want me to believe you really know Helena and what's in her heart, which is rather absurd since you've never really spent any time with her or actually had a conversation …unless… have you been a telepathic all along and never told me?" Barbara coolly asked with feigned curiosity as her insides churned hot with anger.

"_**Barbara**_," he said earnestly. "You might _**think**_ she makes you happy now, but…"

"No!" Barbara snapped, staring at him with dangerously narrow eyes. "You've said quite enough; I understand your position perfectly. You think I am unable to tell whether Helena truly loves me or is just using me," she said tersely.

"I just …" Dick said, shaking his head no.

"NO! You are done talking. It's _**my**_ turn!" Barbara hissed, causing Dick to nearly step back from the palpable anger.

"I did have a blind spot when it came to Helena. But when she was split in two and I almost lost her, it became embarrassingly clear. I didn't see it but she has _**always**_ loved me; so much so, she wanted me to be happy and encouraged me to date again after the shooting. And even after you suddenly decided to drop by New Gotham to _catch up,"_ she said tersely, making it sound like a booty call. "She told me that if you were the one who made me happy, I should go for it," Barbara revealed, gaining his surprised gaze. "Of course, only after a blood test so she could rule out drug usage," she added with a small amused snort.

Dick frowned, having a hard time believing Helena would have encouraged Barbara to give him another chance, recalling how uncomfortable it had been with Helena around. The barely legal thorn-in-his-side, who bragged about her fighting skills; skills she was born with, not earned through the sweat required by human vigilantes. The insolent young woman, who was irreverent towards authority and those with far more experience, who flaunted her partying ways, who took great pleasure in taunting him. He recalled one particularly annoying taunt after he and Barbara decided to give it another go, when Helena "innocently" gave him the number of a great barber - just in case he stuck around long enough to need a hair cut. He didn't.

"And after you left, she told me it was a crime for me not to be appreciated and loved by someone, who I had doubted actually existed," Barbara admitted softly, stunning Dick, who frowned at Barbara's surprising lack of confidence.

"I still didn't see it, but I know now _**she**_ wanted to be that someone. But do you know what she did? She encouraged me to date someone else, a persistent, kind man that I was attracted to but uncertain about; I really didn't want to go through another failed relationship," she said bluntly, making Dick wince, realizing how he contributed to her unhealthy erosion of confidence. But he had thought they mutually agreed they weren't ready for a serious relationship or such a dramatic change in their lives….

"Why did she encourage me? She thought it would make me happy," Barbara said, looking at Dick pointedly. "And when I look back, her actions…" she said, her words fading with a guilty glance back to the bedroom. "Well, she put my happiness first."

Dick exhaled heavily, still unconvinced of Helena's sincerity, especially with Barbara's vulnerable state and someone showering her with affection she didn't think possible; but he knew Barbara was in no mood to hear his continued doubts.

"So now, when I have finally found the love I was beginning to believe I'd never experience, when I am the _**happiest**_ I've ever been, what do _**you**_ do? Instead of supporting me, you throw a tantrum about how inappropriate Helena is, leaving me to conclude that the only thing you love more than your freedom is your ego," she said tersely, the biting words making him cringe.

"I'm not the enemy," Dick said weakly.

"Well, I'm having difficulty thinking of you as a friend right now," Barbara said bluntly. "Good night, Dick. Thank you for dinner and letting us stay," she said with excruciating politeness and headed towards the guest room and Helena.

"Barbara?" he called out anxiously, causing her to pause her departure, but not turn towards him. His shoulders dropped in defeat. "I'm sorry," he said feebly.

"You should be," she said firmly and went to Helena.

/BoP\

After maneuvering to pull the door behind her, Barbara rolled towards the bed. Transferring herself out of the chair and onto the bed, she sighed with heavy disappointment.

"I'd clap, but that would take too much energy," Helena offered drowsily as her lover settled in.

Barbara frowned. "Sorry you had to hear that," she said uncomfortably, looking into tired blue eyes.

"Don't be," Helena said with a yawn. "I'm relieved I don't have to kick his ass now, you already did it," she added and lazily stretched and curled up next to her lover.

Barbara caressed her face. "How do you feel?"

"Loved," she said with a happy smile.

Barbara leaned in and whispered, "you are" before tenderly kissing her and gently caressing her face. When she pulled back, she saw a smirk.

"You know, I think I'm getting some energy back," Helena said, her brows waggling with interest.

"You can't clap but you can have sex?" she said incredulously, causing Helena to chuckle softly until she yawned. "Sleep," Barbara ordered sternly.

"Hold me?" Helena shyly asked in a whisper.

"Always," Barbara vowed and gently guided Helena's head to her shoulder, pulling her into a protective embrace. It wasn't long before she heard a faint but comforting purr, lulling her into a deep sleep.

/BoP\

Helena woke to a very unhappy stomach. She was famished. Carefully slipping out of Barbara's embrace, she noticed she wasn't careful enough, finding two green eyes looking at her groggily.

"Something wrong?" Barbara asked, blinking as she tried to wake.

"Nah. Just really hungry," Helena said softly. "I'm going to get a bite and come back. Go back to sleep, Red," she said, getting a tired nod. Helena leaned over and kissed Barbara's forehead, and watched Barbara's eyes shut as she quickly drifted back to sleep. God she was beautiful, Helena thought, indulging in the vision a moment before letting her stomach drive her out of the bedroom.

Barefoot, she quietly padded towards the kitchen. Turning on the light, she glanced around the designer kitchen, absently wondering if Dick ever actually cooked with those high-end appliances. Searching quietly through the cabinets for something easy to make that would satisfy her hunger, she smiled when she discovered bread, thinking a sandwich, or two, would be nice.

Sticking her head in the refrigerator, she spotted some roasted chicken leftovers that made her mouth water. She pulled out the plate and placed it next to the bread on the kitchen island, then grabbed some mayo, pausing before also grabbing the lettuce. That should make it somewhat healthy, she considered.

She heard heavy footsteps approach the kitchen. "You want one, Dick?" she offered, continuing to make her sandwich, hoping there would not be a confrontation; that would take too much energy.

He shuffled in with a slight shake of his head. A perplexed look filled his face as he scratched the back of his head.

She noted he was in his pajamas and a dark blue robe that had "RJG" embroidered in gold on his breast pocket. Of course, she silently considered.

"How about Chamomile tea? Supposed to help you sleep," she suggested with a nonchalant shrug.

He shook his head "no" again and tiredly sat at the island.

Helena nodded and finished assembling her sandwich. "Got any chips?"

Dick looked at her. "Potato or corn?"

"Both," she said, smiling unrepentantly.

He snorted and got up, retrieving the bags. When he placed them on the island, near Helena's plate, she smiled. "Got any pop tarts?"

He looked at her incredulously.

"What?" Helena responded defensively.

He sighed, aware of her inexplicably strong affinity for that treat, and went to a pantry to retrieve two boxes she could choose from; one of frosted strawberry and one of chocolate frosted chocolate fudge. As he returned, he eyed her as she bit into the sandwich. "Man that's _soooo_ good," she moaned approvingly, speaking with her mouth full, causing him to frown slightly at the see-food.

"Want a pizza with that?" he said sarcastically, placing the boxes down on the island as she devoured the sandwich. He noted her pause with a thoughtful expression as she considered his suggestion. "Seriously? You pregnant or something?"

"Ha! Barbara's good, but she's not THAT good," Helena said with a laugh, then stopped awkwardly, realizing she just stepped into a mine field. "Sorry," she said sincerely and took another bite of her sandwich, quickly finishing it.

As she quietly ate some chips, he sat down at the island and stared at the counter, occasionally glancing at her with a perplexed look.

The silence was deafening. "What?" Helena finally asked as she grabbed a box of pop tarts and opened it.

"I would have thought…" he said, then fell silent.

Helena had opened a package and glanced at him uneasily. "Thought what?"

"You'd rub it in," Dick said bluntly, looking at her a moment before focusing on the granite countertop uncomfortably.

"Maybe later, when I'm not terrified of screwing it up."

Her admission surprised him. He looked at her, meeting her gaze. "You know, you'll never be good enough for her," Dick announced confidently, expecting an argument from the ever-cocky woman. To his surprise, instead of a snarky comeback, she looked thoughtful.

"Maybe," she allowed. "But I'm sure gonna try like hell to be," she vowed with steadfast determination.

Again, he was surprised; for the first time he could recall, Helena acknowledged she might not be good at something. This mature side of Helena was something he'd never expected to see. But he still was skeptical Helena was capable of being in a serious, loving relationship with Barbara. He had been certain Barbara was seeing what she wanted to see and being fooled. But as he looked into Helena's unwavering eyes, his certainty began to waver.

He never tried to examine why he disliked Helena so much and sought to provoke her. It was pretty clear now. He somehow knew Helena would always have a stronger bond with Barbara than he ever would, in spite of the unique history he and Barbara shared before the shooting. And that aggravated him to no end.

He loved Barbara. He really did. At one time, he could see them having a good life together. But after the shooting, he realized his love for her wasn't the life-altering, soul-consuming kind of love that drives someone to fight for with everything they had. Oh he did the right, the _**noble**_ thing. He stepped up and tried to be the person to care for and help Barbara during her time of need. But Barbara knew he was driven by duty, not love. When Barbara refused to be an obligation and clearly rejected him, it stung. But that sting was quickly washed away by a feeling of tremendous relief – accompanied by tremendous guilt for feeling that relief. Some hero he had been, he considered derisively.

But Barbara being in love with Helena didn't make sense to him; Helena had always been trouble for Barbara, arguing with her and getting into trouble. Treating her…Dick's lips pursed as he realized that Helena treated Barbara like someone who wasn't confined to a chair. Helena treated her just like anyone else she happened to disagree with - rudely. He looked at Helena thoughtfully as she ate her second pack of pop tarts between nibbles of corn chips, as a fundamental truth hit him squarely between the eyes. Being challenged by Helena was exactly what Barbara needed … to feel normal.

What Barbara needed was not to be treated with kid gloves, like she was fragile china, as everyone around her thought she was after being dealt a devastating blow. Was it blind luck or had Helena known that truth all along, he wondered, finding it hard to believe that the spoiled teen, who had been dealing with her own loss, could have possibly been so aware of what Barbara needed … and given it to her.

Not knowing the hows or whys to his plethora of questions, which included how Barbara could actually fall _**in love **_with Helena Kyle, he somehow knew Helena spoke the truth; she'd try to be good enough for Barbara, which inconveniently chipped away at his long-held distrust of her that he righteously clung to over the years.

"Don't screw this up, Helena," he said gravely. "Or I'll kick your ass," he added, causing her to mumble something with her mouth full. "What?" he said tersely, expecting a cocky comeback.

She swallowed. "I said, get in line. Assuming Barbara doesn't - Mr. Gordon has first crack at me. Then Dinah. Then Alfred," she said with a shrug, biting into another pop tart.

"Jim knows?" Dick said with surprise and sputtered "And…approves?"

"Yes. But he is still a scary man," Helena said gravely, taking another bite.

A grin emerged as an almost forgotten memory surfaced. "Did he pull out his revolver and clean it while interrogating you?" Dick asked knowingly.

Helena's eyes lit up as she snorted with amusement. "Nice," she said approvingly, even more impressed with Barbara's father. "But no. He was interrogating Barbara when I joined them. He didn't seem happy when she told him she was not seeking or needing his approval. Then he asked me if I would walk away if he disapproved of us. Man, I think my heart stopped. Barbara loves Jim so much and she really respects him…." Helena said softly, shaking her head as she fell silent.

"What did you say?" Dick asked, intensely curious.

"That I would only walk away if Barbara told me to, and that it would kill me if she did. I knew he didn't think our relationship was a good thing, but I told him I was going to try to make her as happy as she made me and that I _**knew**_ I was right for her. Then he disagreed, which, well, pissed me off," Helena admitted. "And I started to argue with him," she added uncomfortably.

"You what?!" Dick blurted with surprise. Helena cringed and nodded. "Wait, I thought you said he approved," he said, confused.

"Well, I was on a roll and I uh, didn't realize what he was actually disagreeing with," Helena said softly with a weak shrug. "He actually thought we were a good match."

"Wow," Dick said, begrudgingly impressed with Helena boldly going to battle with Jim for Barbara, even if it was due to a misunderstanding. A love worth fighting for, he considered thoughtfully then reached for a potato chip, getting his hand slapped away.

"Hey!" He blurted.

"Get your own."

"It _**is**_ my…" Dick said tersely, then saw Helena's amused grin and realized she was teasing him. And to his surprise, he didn't mind. Much. He shook his head. "Enjoy," he said as he got up to head to bed.

"Hey! What about my pizza?" Helena blurted and munched on a chip.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 8...


	8. Chapter 8 - Morning Glory

**Primal Instinct II:**

**0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Morning Glory**

"So what do you want for breakfast?" Dick asked as the two women joined him in the kitchen. He glanced uneasily at Barbara, who still looked tired, making him feel guilty for likely being the cause.

"Pop tarts!" Helena declared with a smile.

"Oddly, it seems that both boxes of pop tarts are missing," Dick responded flatly. "As is my leftover roast chicken," he added as Barbara yawned.

"Now THAT was really good chicken," Helena enthusiastically noted with a smile.

"Why did I smell pepperoni when you returned to bed?" Barbara asked curiously, rubbing her eyes.

Helena glanced uncomfortably to Dick, thinking he didn't need to be reminded that they had shared a bed, in his home. To her surprise, he didn't seem bothered.

"That must have been from the _**large**_ pepperoni pizza I ordered for her," he said wryly, shaking his head as he pulled out some cereal from the cabinet.

"That _**was**_ really good pizza," she enthusiastically noted. "And you had a slice," Helena said, mildly defensive.

"I'm surprised I still have my hand," he said, raising his extremity in feigned disbelief as Helena smirked.

"Helena, just how much food did you have?" Barbara asked as she caught up with the discussion.

"I was _**hungry**_, all right? So sue me," Helena said bluntly.

"Flying must be a big drain on your energy," Barbara offered with some concern.

"It would explain her passing out," Dick added with a shrug.

"And her disturbing food intake," Barbara noted, glancing to Dick, who nodded. "We'll need to do some tests to establish your…"

"I'm _**fine**_ now, thank you very much," Helena said with annoyance. "And while you two delight in the topic of _**me**_, I'm going to make some coffee," she announced and headed to the coffee maker.

Barbara glanced at Dick with concern, hoping they would not start the morning out arguing.

Dick stared at Helena, who searched through several cabinets for the coffee. "The coffee is in the _**coffee**_ container, on the counter by the _**coffee**_ maker," he said helpfully with a smirk.

Barbara glanced uneasily to Helena, really, really not wanting to start the morning out with them at each other's throat.

"Huh," she said and grabbed the container clearly labeled "coffee" and looked at it thoughtfully. "Imagine that."

Barbara was surprised to see Dick and Helena briefly smirk at each other before Helena started to make the coffee. She found Dick looking at her with a small smile before pulling out bowls for the cereal.

Not about to question the cease-fire for fear of re-igniting a war, Barbara actually enjoyed the breakfast with Dick and Helena, who chatted about Lizard guy and the potential scenarios involving the stolen Plutonium. No animosity or caustic comments, just a civil…and surprisingly amicable conversation, she noted with relief and mild amazement.

Finally, she considered, sipping her coffee as she looked between the two, immensely pleased.

/BoP\

On the road back to New Gotham, Barbara glanced over to Helena. Again.

"Do I have something on my face?" Helena asked innocently and looked into the visor's mirror with feigned concern, well aware of what was on Barbara's mind.

"No. No," Barbara answered absently, returning her eyes to the road. "Breakfast was…_**nice**_," she emphasized with mild surprise, briefly glancing at Helena.

"Yeah. Really hit the spot," Helena said cheerfully.

"Helena," Barbara groaned.

"Yeeeees?" Helena melodically said, a knowing smile emerging.

"Do you know how aggravating you can be?"

"Actually, I do," she said smugly and eyed her lover. "And do you know, you tend to beat around the bush," Helena said, then snorted with amusement. A lascivious smile grew as Helena continued "not that there's anything wrong with that. Actually, I would _**really**_ enjoy it if you'd pull over and…."

"Helena!" Barbara interrupted incredulously, sounding scandalized, which was quite an achievement for Helena; Barbara had come to expect sexual innuendo or blatantly overt comments from her.

"…and we properly christen the Hum…," Helena offered with a sly grin, interrupted by Barbara, who muttered "Good God."

"Hey, it's a long trip," Helena said reasonably. "And we couldn't exactly…in his house."

"You were asleep most of the time!"

"And sex has tremendous benefits, you know," Helena continued, undeterred. "Relief from tension or frustration," she added with authority, adding knowingly " … which you seem to be in great need of at the moment."

Barbara took a deep breath and pulled off to the side of the road. Helena eyed her with anticipation, not actually expecting Barbara to cave in so quickly. She fully expected to have to wear her down for most of the trip.

Barbara turned off the engine and leaned towards her. Helena smiled with satisfaction.

"You know what would relieve my frustration now?" Barbara said silkily.

"I have some idea," Helena whispered and leaned in closer, almost touching Barbara's lips when they moved, forming words she didn't expect.

"Knowing what you and Dick spoke about."

Helena pulled back with a grimace. "Ahhhh, way to kill the mood, Red," she complained distastefully.

"I didn't think that was really possible with you," Barbara joked with mild amusement.

"Well it is," she said grumpily.

"So besides mentioning Dinah while we are naked in bed, talking about Dick cools your jets too, huh? Good to know," Barbara smiled with satisfaction.

"Now _**that**_ is just mean," Helena complained.

"Well, since we are on the topic," Barbara said reasonably. "He was actually pleasant towards you this morning. I'm curious why he changed his tune so quickly."

"Must have finally won him over with my natural magnetism and winning personality," Helena said sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Helena…." She said impatiently.

"I'm serious," Helena countered innocently.

Barbara sighed with frustrated disappointment, tired of having to pull an explanation from Helena. When she reached for the key to start the engine, Helena quickly grasped her hand, knowing she needed to stop teasing.

"Barbara," Helena said softly, gently squeezing her hand. "We talked a bit last night. Talked, not argued," Helena said pointedly, bringing a small pleased smile to Barbara's face.

"He'll never be a Helena Kyle fan, as hard as it is to believe," Helena said, feigning confusion, making Barbara chuckle softly. "But I haven't given him much of a reason to like me …or believe I won't hurt you," Helena admitted softly. "And I can't blame him for being worried that you are making a mistake with me," she said bluntly, some of her insecurity slipping through.

"I'm not," Barbara immediately responded, making Helena smile as she let the comfort of Barbara's unwavering conviction wash over her.

"He cares for you. But I think he now understands that our love is real. And we both understand that our constant bickering has been hurting you. Neither of us want to hurt you, Barbara, so we're trying to be better."

"Thank you," Barbara said softly, looking into loving blue eyes before leaning in and tenderly kissing Helena. After a soft click, she found her seatbelt suddenly undone and retracting. "Helena!"

/BoP\

"Welcome home. Miss Helena, I'm pleased you are looking well," Alfred said with a smile as the two left the elevator and entered the Tower.

"Thanks, Alfred. I'm feeling pretty good too," Helena said with an easy-going smile.

"We still need to run some tests," Barbara said firmly.

"But I feel…" Helena countered.

"…fine. I _**know**_," Barbara interjected wearily. "But we still need to run some tests," Barbara repeated stubbornly, seeing Helena frown. "Please?" she ventured softly.

"Ugh!" Helena blurted, unable to deny Barbara, who smiled, knowing she'd won that round.

"I'll prepare lunch, if you'll excuse me," Alfred said politely, leaving for the kitchen with a small smile.

"I was thinking I could record your biometric data while you fly around the city for a short period, but long enough for the flying to drain some of your energy, then I'd take a blood sample. Then you'd fly another, longer period…" Barbara continued enthusiastically, starting to roll towards Delphi.

"Wash rinse, repeat," Helena interjected unhappily, absently rubbing her inner arm, anticipating the needles. She could face getting cut by a thug with a big hunting knife without flinching, yet those innocent-looking needles gave her the heebie-jeebies.

"Helena! Barbara!" Dinah said as she rushed down the stairs to join them as Alfred went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. "What happened?"

"Hey, D…whoa!" Helena said as Dinah barreled into her and pulled her into a tight bear hug.

Barbara glanced from her keyboard to the youngest crime fighter with a warm smile.

"Eww," the young telepath blurted and quickly stepped back with a look of distaste. "Really? In the Humvee?!"

"That's what you get for copping a read!" Helena lectured with irritation, briefly glancing over to Barbara, who stiffened and intently focused on her computer screen as she tapped on her keyboard. Helena rolled her eyes at Barbara's approach to things she didn't want to deal with – ignore it.

"I…I didn't mean to!" she said defensively, glancing over to Barbara guiltily, finding her intently focused on her computer screen, still typing away. Dinah leaned in conspiratorially. "It's just that you two…_**project**_. Loudly," she admitted in a hushed tone.

"That's not the only thing we do loudly," Helena said with a rakish grin, not noticing Barbara briefly stop typing with a slight cringe before typing rapidly, with lots and lots of focus.

Dinah's mouth dropped. Unable to come up with a suitable response, Dinah harrumphed and left for her room.

Helena chuckled and joined Barbara's side, leaning against the countertop next to her.

"You really shouldn't say things like that to her," Barbara said with soft admonishment, finally looking up from her screen with worry. "We _**are**_ her guardians," she noted, glancing uncomfortably where Dinah had retreated.

"Impressive. You can listen in _**and**_ ignore us at the same time. But then, you were always good at multi-tasking," Helena said with a thin smile, crossing her arms over her chest.

Barbara looked at her guiltily and placed a hand on her forearm. "Sorry. She does need to control her readings better too. I'll have a talk with her…_**after**_ you head out for your test flight."

/BoP\

Helena stood on the ledge and exhaled heavily as Barbara rechecked the position and operation of each biometric sensor.

"You should be careful not to exert yourself too much," Barbara cautioned, tapping her small handheld pad to verify adequate feedback, again.

"I look like a porcupine!" Helena complained, trying to scratch her cheek beneath her itchy mask and next to the itchy sensor but brushed against a couple spiky sensors, which caused a blip on Barbara's screen.

"Don't touch the sensors, you'll damage the link," Barbara admonished, quickly grabbing Helena's hand and pulling it away from the sensors. She took stock of the several sensors on her face that did stick out…like small spines that almost made her feel guilty…but the data she would get was too valuable to worry about a temporary blow to Helena's fashion sense.

"Well, we wouldn't want _**that**_," Helena said, rolling her eyes as Barbara continued to fuss over her sensors. "They itch more than the mask!" she whined, reaching towards one of the sensors on her forehead to be intercepted by Barbara's hand and firm warning glare. Helena exhaled heavily.

"They are not permanent. You're good to go. Ready when you are," Barbara announced, giving a firm nod and motioning towards the sky.

"Finally!" Helena said and took a leap off the side of the building.

Rolling closer to the edge, Barbara exhaled the breath she didn't realize she was holding when Helena flew up and away from the Tower.

"Your sensors are all working," Barbara told her on their coms link as she monitored her pad.

"_Yay," Huntress said flatly as she approached the adjacent skyscraper. A frown appeared as she tried to lean to her side and turn. _

Barbara looked back up from her small computer and sucked in a startled breath. "Helena, watch out for…" she blurted just before Helena clipped a gargoyle sticking out from a corner of the building.

"_Ooof!" Helena blurted as she grabbed her now-throbbing shoulder._

The head from the gargoyle plummeted to the ground.

"Huntress! Are you all right?"

"_I . . . oh shit," Helena blurted anxiously, diving after the plummeting head. "Please please please," she muttered worriedly as she unsteadily chased after the inadvertent projectile. _

Barbara's eyes widened with concern, recognizing the potential for pedestrian injuries on the street below.

_Helena scooped the head out of the air and tucked it in one arm against her chest, like a football. "Ha! Got it!" Helena declared victoriously. Stretching her other arm towards the direction she wanted to go, Helena let out a happy laugh when she actually went in that direction. "Whoo hoo! Did you see that, Oracle!"_

"That's affirmative, Huntress. Nice moves," Barbara said with a grin, relieved Helena was making progress. "You'll be happy to know your biometric data is still coming through strongly," she added, smiling at the computer tablet's display of data, relieved Helena didn't damage the sensors.

"_You have no idea," Helena said flatly._

/BoP\

"Your Geiger counters, Miss Barbara," Alfred said, placing the two small boxes and attached probes down on the counter as Barbara returned to Delphi and placed the computer tablet next to her keyboard.

"Thank you, Alfred," she smiled, picking up one of the devices and turning it on. The soft sputtering static of background radiation sounded as Barbara looked at the black needle that bounced just above zero.

"Will there be anything else?" He asked as she turned off the device.

Barbara bit her lip and briefly glanced thoughtfully at the training room where Dinah was working out, then to him expectantly.

"Anything, except that," he amended knowingly, surprising Barbara who blushed uncomfortably.

"Yes, well," she cleared her throat, then stared at Helena's data a moment. Glancing to Alfred, whose eyebrow lifted curiously, she pointed to her screen. "I can't leave to talk with Dinah right now, not while she's flying," Barbara said and shrugged weakly.

"I could keep an eye on Miss Helena," Alfred interjected helpfully. Barbara looked at him with a slight frown. "I'll let you know if there are any changes," he added.

Barbara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you, Alfred."

"Good luck, Miss Barbara," he said somberly, though with a faint, amused twitch of his lips.

Barbara glanced uneasily towards the training room and took a fortifying breath before biting the bullet and going to see her ward. She paused at the door, watching her young ward practice kicking the heavy bag.

"You're signaling your kicks," Barbara offered and rolled towards her young ward, who looked at her, not understanding. "With your shoulder. You drop it just before you kick," she explained. "Try it again."

Dinah nodded and did as instructed, catching her error too late. "Ugh!"

"Now that you know, you can work on it," Barbara said with encouragement, getting a knowing look from Dinah.

"I guess we all have trouble with signaling…things," Dinah said with a smirk.

Barbara shifted uncomfortably. "About that…"

"Look Barbara, I'm sorry I've embarrassed you but I'm having difficulty blocking …things…out," Dinah admitted with a frustrated exhale, going to the bench and picking up her towel before sitting.

Barbara nodded absently and rolled towards her. "And we're not helping," Barbara said sympathetically.

"_**You're**_ not so bad…much," Dinah offered awkwardly, dropping her gaze to the floor uncomfortably.

"Perhaps…until we learn to better shield our thoughts, you might not touch us as much?" Barbara suggested uneasily.

A flash of hurt crossed Dinah's face before she realized that was the only logical suggestion; Dinah nodded weakly. "It is worse with a touch," she admitted.

"I am sorry, Dinah," Barbara said guiltily.

"What? No! You shouldn't apologize for having . . . that…with Helena. I'm happy for you two. Really! And it's awesome to know there can be that much passion and love between two people. It's…inspiring," Dinah said emphatically. "It's just…" she said, trailing off.

"You don't need to know the details," Barbara offered bluntly.

Dinah nodded guiltily. "But I need to work on blocking those emotions and thoughts. You're not the only people I've been picking up on."

Barbara eyed Dinah curiously. Dinah bit her lip. "Gabby," she admitted, then gushed guiltily. "I know it's wrong to read people but she projects too," Dinah blurted.

"I…see," she said uncomfortably. "Do you want to talk about what you've …read?" Barbara asked uncomfortably, but was determined to help out her young ward if she could.

"Uh, not really."

"Good," Barbara gushed with relief, then realized she spoke aloud. "I mean…" she blurted with a wince, knowing she wasn't sounding like a very good guardian at the moment.

"It's ok, Barbara," Dinah interjected with a smirk. "I mean, like, I really need to read a teenager's mind to know what's on it?"

"You've got a point," Barbara chuckled. "Well, let me know if you want to talk about …anything," she said, trying to sound like she wasn't uncomfortable at all about the subject of sex and teenagers. She was somewhat disappointed her uncomfortable experiences with a younger Helena hadn't better prepared her for Dinah.

"I'll let you know. Thanks, Barbara," Dinah said with a warm smile.

"_**Don't**_ mention it," Barbara said dryly, making Dinah laugh.

**/BoP\**

Barbara returned to Delphi, noting Alfred shake his head as he left, which mildly concerned her. Checking her chronometer, she frowned; Helena had been out flying for 21 minutes. A minute past the designated return time, she considered with a sigh. Helena never did seem to care about punctuality.

"Huntress, do you copy?" Barbara said on the comms.

"_Roger, Oracle. On my way home now."_

Barbara had to smile; she's coming home. So simple a concept, yet so incredibly important. Home. She had wondered if she'd ever find a place where she would feel comfortable, where she would be able to truly be herself. With Helena, she had found that place.

Seconds later Helena breezed through the balcony doors and confidently strode towards her, radiating happiness that was accompanied by a big smile that Barbara couldn't help but return. Before she could say anything, Helena leaned over, giving her a passionate kiss - a kiss she fell into and enthusiastically returned; sometimes Barbara felt as if she had no defense against Helena's natural magnetism. But she forced herself to remember that there were tests to run and work to do….

"Whoa, Ti…ger," she cautioned as Helena kept kissing her. "Helena!" she said more forcefully, clearly demonstrating she had _**some**_ defense against the tidal wave of desire, known as Helena.

"What?!" Helena said breathlessly, her eyes turning feral, making it harder for Barbara to resist. Barbara felt a primal response to those amazing eyes that drew her in, making her want to succumb to the desire so clearly reflected in them.

But they had work to do, Barbara reminded herself. She needed to understand the extent of Helena's fatigue after flight.

"Sweetie, we _**really**_ need to figure out…" Barbara said diplomatically but paused, curiously glancing down to the cold object her hand fell on.

Helena looked down and bit her lip with mild embarrassment. "For you!" she suddenly announced with a bright smile as she placed the gargoyle's head on the counter by Barbara's keyboard.

"Thanks," Barbara chuckled. "How's your shoulder?" she asked softly, reaching up and carefully touching it.

"What shoulder?" she said dismissively, clearly interested in only one thing as she leaned in for another kiss.

"He….lena," Barbara said as persistent lips sought hers. "Helena!"

"God! It's just some bruising, Barbara. Why don't I show you?" she eagerly offered, not easily distracted from her goal as she started to unbutton her blouse.

"Where are your sensors?" Barbara blurted with annoyance, just realizing they were missing. "And your mask?!

Helena rolled her eyes, which had turned back to their normal crystal blue. With a heavy, disappointed sigh, she rebuttoned her blouse, recognizing her goals and Barbara's were not exactly matching at the moment.

"Helena! It was _only_ 21 minutes! You couldn't keep the mask and sensors on for 21 minutes?!" Barbara scolded her.

"They _**really**_ itched!" Helena complained, pulling out a handful of spiky sensors from one jacket pocket and her mask from the other.

"How am I supposed to correlate your fatigue to the duration of your flight?" Barbara protested.

"Ask me?" Helena answered with what seemed rather obvious.

"Before or _**after**_ you pass out?!" Barbara countered sarcastically.

"Barbara," Helena groaned. "I feel great. Really! And it was just twenty minutes…" she said dismissively.

"Twenty one."

"…and the flight to Blüdhaven was like, way more than an hour," Helena argued.

"Because of your extended . . . detour," Barbara noted pointedly, which prompted a curious thought. "How was your turning this time?"

"A lot better," Helena said, hopping up to sit on the Delphi counter. "I think flying is like any physical activity," she considered thoughtfully. "I just need to get in shape and practice," Helena concluded with a smile, actually feeling hopeful about the prospects of a collision-free flight. Something she hoped to share with Barbara at some point…when she could be confident she wouldn't crash into a building.

Barbara looked at her thoughtfully, as a persistent concern still nagged at her. "I need your blood," she announced bluntly and headed towards the medical equipment in the training room, expecting Helena to follow.

"Of course you do," Helena muttered and followed.

* * *

TBC...


	9. Chapter 9 -Detonators

**Primal Instinct II: ****0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Detonators**

In a dark room, Carl and Daniel watched as Peter Fry soldered an electronic timer to the detonator on a workbench.

"Carl, I did as you asked," Daniel said uneasily as Peter chuckled eerily, delighting in his work.

"Yes. Thank you, Daniel. You've helped me out a lot," Carl said with a smile and returned his attention to Peter Fry, who took a long drag on his cigarette.

"You promised after this, you'd ….," Daniel said uncomfortably, scratching his dry skin and coughing slightly at the foul air.

"Here," Carl said with a sly smirk, handing over a small plastic envelope of a few pills.

"This isn't enough," Daniel said with alarm.

"It'll tide you over for now. I have one more request of you and then you'll be free to focus on your work," Carl said with a smile, patting Daniel on the back.

Daniel roughly knocked his arm away. "But that wasn't the deal! And you know it!"

"Daniel, I really need your help now – more than ever. You said you would help me. You are not going to renege are you?" Carl said with a frown.

"You can't keep changing our agreement."

"Look, I hadn't realized I'd still need your help. But I do. You've been such a good friend to me, come on and help me out this one last time," Carl said, his charm oozing.

"It's always one more time," Daniel grumbled, anger bubbling beneath the surface.

"Hey, I'm sorry. This is really the last time, Daniel. And once I get Gramps' fortune, I'll help set you up to process this stuff on your own," he said, pointing to the pills, "And you'll never be dependent on anyone. Isn't that what you want?"

"This is fucked up!" Daniel seethed. "Why do you need a fucking nuclear bomb?"

Carl smiled coldly. "To show him I'm serious. He'll cave once he realizes it's real and his precious children are at risk. So, you're going to help me?" Carl asked, unperturbed by Daniel's anger.

"One last time," Daniel said, glancing over to the giggling Peter Fry then to the pills in his hand in defeat.

**/BoP\**

After a second day of several short- and grueling long-duration flights, which were unfortunately necessary before Barbara would contemplate taking a break so Helena could recover long enough to have more than "a quickie," Helena sat quietly, sipping a glass of milk as Barbara reviewed Helena's blood work.

"The flights had no effect on nucleotide stability. They are still stable, even after the longest flight," Barbara announced with a pleased smile as she reviewed the good results on her computer screen. "And, your biometrics, _that I could record_," she added pointedly, still not happy about Helena's interference in her data gathering, "are consistent with normal physical exertion and recovery," Barbara stated, looking at a sensor-free Helena, who nodded in acknowledgement and now munched on another pop-tart. She was not about to apologize for removing the sensors again – they itched!

"In addition to improved control, your endurance has notably improved since yesterday," Barbara offered positively.

"Endurance _**is**_ important," Helena smirked and waggled her eyebrows, but Barbara was thoughtful and did not respond. Helena's smirk faded and she rolled her eyes.

"How's your appetite?" Barbara asked curiously, pulling off her glasses as she turned towards Helena, who found that act and those glasses incredibly sexy.

"Ravenous…." She answered honestly and leaned towards Barbara's lips.

"Helena!"

"What?!" Helena complained, her target not acquired. Noting Barbara expected an answer, she let out a belabored sigh. "Fine. The pop-tarts and milk hit the spot…for my stomach."

"This last flight was three hours," Barbara noted as Helena lifted her glass of milk, saluted her with it, and took another sip of milk, which left a milk mustache.

Barbara smiled, reaching out to wipe it off of Helena, who grabbed her hand and stole a kiss, then another.

Pulling back, which took a great deal of willpower, as Helena's lips were dangerously persuasive, Barbara glared at her. "Later," she announced sternly, gaining a dejected look. "I still have some tests I want to…." Barbara explained, her dedication to science not waning, unlike Helena's.

"Barbara!" Helena interrupted with a groan. "Come on! I've already done _**tons**_ of flights like you've asked. Can't we pick up the experiments tomorrow? Please?!" she begged.

Another thing that was dangerously persuasive was Helena…begging. A part of Barbara had to admit deep satisfaction that her lover wanted her so much as to resort to begging.

"Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"

"All right," Barbara offered in surrender, bringing a big smile to Helena's face. "You really shouldn't be so happy, you know. Begging is unbecoming," she said half-heartedly as a small smile emerged on her face as she looked into Helena's blue eyes that shone happily.

"Not if I _**be coming**_ in a moment," Helena joked, lightly kissing Barbara, who chuckled in spite of the bad joke and grammar. "Kid here?" she asked, between gentle kisses.

"At Gabby's for the night," Barbara smiled.

"Reeeeaaaaly?" Helena said with great interest and kissed her again as she carefully lifted Barbara from her chair.

"Mmm Hmmm," Barbara responded as her arms easily slipped around Helena's neck. At one time, Barbara would have rejected anyone who offered to lift her from her wheelchair, despising the appearance that she was incapable or needed help. But with Helena, Barbara had learned it was not an act of pity or duty, but love…and expediency. And Barbara had to commend expediency….

The Delphi alarmed. "NOoooooo!" Helena moaned dramatically at the unwanted interruption, resting her head against Barbara's kissable neck in defeat.

Barbara groaned, equally unpleased, but took a deep fortifying breath. "Duty calls," she announced firmly, awkwardly patting Helena on the shoulder in consolation, electing not to comment on Helena unhappily mumbling about _**duty**_ and what one could do with it, as she lowered Barbara back to her chair.

Clearing her throat, Barbara called up the alarm on Delphi and took a centering breath to calm her own libido.

Reviewing the information, Barbara blurted, "Damn." Helena looked curiously over Barbara's shoulder.

"Seems they are making a bomb like we thought. Military-grade detonation devices have been discovered missing from the North Bay Air Force Base," Barbara noted.

"Swell," Helena said flatly as Delphi beeped an odd tweeping sound, a sound she hadn't heard often.

"It's Dick," Barbara said and put on a head set. "This is Oracle, go ahead Nightwing."

"_Guess what's missing from the North Bay Air Force Base," he said in a sing-song voice._

"Hmmm. Is it bigger than a breadbox?" Barbara asked innocently with a smirk.

Helena eyed her curiously.

"He's calling about the detonation devices," Barbara explained, though Helena could hear him; she was just wondering about their banter, mildly bothered by it.

"_Uh…. I'm not sure," Nightwing said, mildly annoyed his information was not that thorough._

Barbara smiled. "Maybe the detonators are there and just overlooked?" She teased him. "They have had issues with misplacing important things before."

Helena frowned.

"_Even if I don't know what they look like, I'm pretty sure the Air Force does," he said, not liking when Barbara got the better of him, which was routine. "Though now I'm wondering about the timeliness of their discovery…."_

"Which also makes me wonder how close they are to making a bomb," Barbara said somberly.

"_Any leads on where the suspects are? I haven't seen any traces of the Lizard man in my neck of the woods," Dick offered._

"Same here. And Peter Fry has been laying low, spotted buying cigarettes in New Gotham. Carl Tucker has only been seen at the Tucker house, volunteering," Barbara offered with pursed lips, starting to wonder if she could have found the plutonium by now, knowing she had her focus split between their whereabouts and Helena's condition. She glanced at the Geiger counter worriedly.

"I think Carl Tucker needs another visit . . . to shake things up," Helena offered with conviction, looking at Barbara with a thin smile.

"I was thinking that too," Barbara said reluctantly.

"Confession is good for the soul," Helena smirked and stepped back, her departure stopped by Barbara's hand grabbing her hand.

"Hel, I was also thinking of calling back Dinah . . . for that," Barbara offered uncomfortably, noting Helena's eyes narrow with annoyance.

"Not to knock the Kid, but she has _**been**_ looking and not finding anything. I think…," Helena continued but was interrupted.

"I don't like sending you out for a mission without better understanding your fatigue," Barbara quickly argued.

"Oh I'm fatigued all right," she said flatly, tired of Barbara's overprotectiveness.

Barbara shook her head, then focused on the Geiger counter a troubled moment.

"But…" Barbara added, piquing Helena's interest.

"But?"

Barbara pushed out an annoyed breath. "But you could cover more territory," she acknowledged, grabbing the device and promptly handing it to a smiling Helena.

"My endurance has improved – you said so yourself," Helena offered helpfully. "And I'm not crashing into buildings…as much," she joked, getting a frown.

"I really wish we had more time to come up with a better plan," Barbara said reluctantly, erasing Helena's smile.

"You know, you still suck at that cheerleading thing, Red."

Barbara ignored her. "Let's go over the basics of the instrument."

"Yes, let's," Helena said with an insincere smile.

"This is Batman's design to better seek out radioactive sources," she started and picked up one of the detectors, missing the sour look on Helena's face at the mention of her father. "The range is significantly higher than the detectors used by the Military or commercial industry, which are typically used for measuring radiation levels for personnel protection not finding lost radioactive material."

"So what do _**they**_ do when they lose their stuff? Hope for the best?" Helena countered, which Barbara also ignored.

"This is the knob which selects the radiation being detected, you can detect all types if set on "Gen" which means general, she said, turning the dial to select correct radiation. "This is the volume knob, which adjusts the audio indication of the radiation levels, for each type of radiation detected, alpha, beta, Gamma and neutrons, you'll hear a click. This is the visual indication, when the needle…," Barbara continued her explanation.

"Barbara!" Helena interrupted impatiently. "I've watched Japanese monster movies! I know how a Geiger counter works," she blurted testily.

Barbara blinked and looked at Helena curiously. "Is there a particular reason you are being so…disagreeable?"

"I'm horny!" Helena blurted bluntly, surprising Barbara, who then looked at her thoughtfully. "_**This**_ should not be a revelation to you, Barbara," she added with irritation.

"I wonder if flying stimulates your libido," she reflected with interest.

"If you'd be willing to help with the remedy, I may actually start liking your flying experiments," Helena offered with a smirk.

"Well, I _**am**_ a dedicated scientist," Barbara offered dryly, leaning back in her chair with an unapologetic smile.

"As far as effects go," Helena said and leaned towards her with the device in hand and kissed her ear before whispering, "You are by far, much more stimulating than flying," she said and stood back up, her eyes augmenting to cat-slits.

"Experiments are definitely in order…to test that hypothesis," Barbara announced, feeling a bit flushed. Seeing Helena's large smile, she amended "_**After**_ you find the Plutonium."

"If I didn't have incentive before…" Helena moaned, leaving the rest unsaid as she jogged out to the ledge with the detector - on a mission to find the plutonium.

Barbara looked down at the computer console and her eyes widened. Quickly grabbing the mask, she called out "Helena you forgot your…."

Helena was out of sight.

With a sigh, Barbara finished weakly "…mask."

"_Uh Oracle?" Nightwing called out after a quiet moment, causing Barbara's eyes to widen. _

"You're still there," Barbara said unnecessarily, biting her lip as an uncomfortable flush of embarrassment washed over her.

"_Huntress isn't the only one forgetting things. It's not like you, Babs," Dick said; his worry seeping through._

"I'm fine, Dick," she said briskly, annoyed with herself for becoming distracted with Helena. Again.

"_How's Helena doing?" he asked, surprising her; he had never asked before._

"Uh…we've done some flight testing to understand her fatigue and she seems to be adapting. Her endurance had dramatically improved after only a day. It's fascinating, really," she relayed.

"_And a relief?" Dick ventured._

"Yeah. I . . . I'm starting to actually believe she'll be fine," Barbara admitted.

"_Good. You have enough to worry about. Like a nuclear bomb."_

**/BoP\**

Helena flew across town and landed on top of Carl Tucker's apartment building. It was her first stop and most likely where she'd find out something useful. The worn down brick structure wasn't the kind of building where she'd expect the grandson of a billionaire to live. But a psychopath wanting to build a bomb and threaten the city? Yep.

Making her way down the old-fashioned way, down the fire escape, to his darkened window, she waited to see if there was any motion. Concluding he was asleep or not home, she whispered "I'm going in, Oracle."

"_Roger, Huntress," Barbara said, and took a breath to complete her thought but reconsidered; telling Helena to be careful was probably not going to be well received by Helena in her current mood._

Helena silently entered through the window. Her eyes quickly augmented, adjusting to the darkness as she began her search for leads. She carefully walked towards Carl Tucker's bedroom, noting the bed unmade and empty. As she looked around the room, she came upon his closet and turned on the Geiger counter. Instead of a soft static sound, a loud crackling suddenly blared through the device's speakers, filling the once quiet room with bone-jarring noise.

"Crap!" she hissed and turned down the volume of the machine with a grimace, jumping back from the closet and away from the source of the noise.

"_What happened, Huntress!?" Oracle blurted with concern._

"Looks like ol' Carl keeps getting his hands dirty…or rather clothes," Helena said, waving the probe towards the closet and seeing the needle spike higher the closer it got. "His closet is setting this thing off," Helena said crouching down to inspect the shoeboxes on the floor, tipping the lids up with the probe to peer in. "But there's nothing but clothing in it….OH, gross!"

"_Huntress? What is it?"_

"There's more than clothing in here," Helena said distastefully.

"What is it? Have you found the detonator?"

"No. Seems Carl was not adverse to self-loving."

"_Self….?" Barbara asked, then understood. "Oh! Ah. Hmm."_

"Yeah. Hmm."

"_Rather inconvenient place to put …accessories."_

"Well, we did classify him as criminally insane. So, what do you think about …accessories?" Helena asked with a smirk.

"_Focus, Huntress."_

"Oh I am focused, but just not on what you want," Helena said sassily. "So Oracle, you game?"

"_We'll discuss this later, Huntress," Oracle said with a no nonsense tone. _

"Fine," Helena acquiesced with a small sigh.

"_If he was actively assembling or helping to assemble a bomb, it would follow that he has contamination on his clothing. Try not to get it on you," Oracle cautioned. _

"No problem with that, Oracle. His clothes are not my style."

Oracle brought up schematics of the apartment building. _"I don't see a good place in the building to build a bomb." _

"Well, that's good, right? Since we just spooked him from his old warehouse and you haven't dug up anything else going on at the industrial park and waterfront. Maybe they are still looking f…" Helena said then paused, hearing someone try to open the locked apartment door.

"_Huntress?" Oracle questioned with alarm._

"Got company."

Helena heard a frustrated growl from the hallway, then a loud bang as the door was kicked open. She swiftly retreated into the shadows and sucked in a surprised gasp when she saw who entered.

Frantically searching through drawers was not quite a lizard and not quite a man. But the not-quite-a-man part she still recognized.

As he ransacked the apartment, he desperately hissed "damn you, Carl!"

Helena looked down at her instrument and turned it on. The loud sound of significant clicking startled the part-lizard part-man, who quickly looked towards the sound.

"You have radioactive contamination on you, Dr. Connors," she said calmly, turning off the Geiger counter and returning the room to quiet, except for Dr. Connor's belabored breathing.

"_Huntress?" Oracle said anxiously, greatly disturbed by the thought of her college friend being part of this mess._

"You're a smart guy. I'm surprised you let yourself get contaminated too," Helena said, tilting her head curiously as she watched him closely.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this; I . . . I can't let you live now," he ground out menacingly and stepped towards her.

"Well, you don't really look like you're in top form, Doc," she said, easily vaulting over the couch and landing with familiar grace, which she was inordinately thankful she possessed when she needed it. "In fact you look like shit. Is that why you were so anxious going through Carl's stuff – trying to find something that would help?" Helena guessed.

Connors looked at the formidable woman uneasily, knowing he wasn't in the best frame of mind or physical condition. "It doesn't concern you!" his voice hissed, as he glanced around the room with great agitation.

"It actually does. See, Doc, I'm supposed to stop anyone intent on harming innocent people. And a nuclear bomb will hurt a lot of innocent people."

"He's not going to use it! It's just a bluff!" Daniel Connor spat anxiously.

"Are you so certain that you'll actually risk the lives of hundreds of thousands?" Helena countered relentlessly. "You tried to kill me on that roof before - so let's just cut the crap. Your Hippocratic oath means nothing. You really don't care about the innocent … the children," Helena accused.

"Shut up! That was _him_! Not me!" he said, trying to lunge for her as his face morphed a bit, his jaw slightly elongating. His arm crashed into a lamp, which flew across the room.

"So you're saying you have no choice but to follow Carl when you're the lizard guy?"

"Yes! No! You know nothing!" He said, turning over the couch, which was batted into the wall with a loud crash.

"How many lives will be lost because you decided to hook up with a greedy bastard who would actually use a nuclear bomb to get …what? Money? When did you stop caring about people, Doc?"

"I just want to be _**human**_ again!" Daniel cried out desperately, tears forming in his altered eyes.

Helena eyed him with a surprising pang of sympathy. "He helps you keep your human form?" she asked softly as her eyes morphed into cat slits.

He looked into her eyes, startled by the transformation. In curious contemplation, he stayed quiet for so long, Helena began to wonder if he was going to actually talk again.

"You are a Meta being," he said with certainty, almost reverently.

She nodded. "I'm familiar with not feeling quite human. But I am. And I believe you still are Doc. I believe deep down, you know people are in danger from Carl and his bomb."

Daniel sighed in defeat, unable to deny that painful truth. "Carl has helped me keep my human form…until now."

"You're not a meta being, are you?" Helena asked softly.

"No. I lost an arm in battle," he said in resignation, surprising Helena at the apparent non sequitur.

She glanced between both his arms in confusion. "Looks like you found it," she said flippantly.

"_Huntress," Oracle scolded her, anxious to hear Daniel's story. _

"I didn't _**find**_ it! I _**regenerated**_ it!" He hissed with annoyance, looking at the appendage in question.

"Wow," she said, genuinely impressed, prompting the man-creature to take fleeting pride in his debatable accomplishment. "Like…a lizard?" Helena speculated.

"Yessss. Regeneration occurs in many places in nature - salamanders, geckos, starfish…. After my second tour in Iraq, I began working with the Military on a project to aid wounded soldiers. The trials were taking forever and there was so much red tape," he blurted, aggravation clear in his voice. "We could never test anything on live subjects."

"And you decided to cut through the red tape," Helena guessed as her eyes returned to blue.

He nodded. "But not with people," he quickly offered, needing to let her know he had some lines he didn't cross. "I was _**convinced**_ we had come to a sufficient understanding in utilizing the DNA of regenerating organisms to exploit how differentiation worked and finally apply it to non-regenerating organisms," he said emphatically, wanting her to know he wasn't intending to be reckless. "I thought we could easily demonstrate it on military dogs. I was sure I'd find an injury that we could treat and finally prove we were ready to treat people."

"But when I went back to the front lines, I was wounded when my Humvee ran over an IDE," he said softly, pausing a long moment in the painful memory staring at his left arm.

"The treatment worked, with a side effect," he said, holding his arms out to allow an unneeded inspection by Helena. "I suppose I am relieved I never got the chance to inflict this…condition," he said motioning to his altered appearance, "on a poor animal."

"What causes this side effect," Helena asked insightfully. The question Barbara would have asked if Helena didn't.

"DNA dominance," he noted. "Reptilian DNA was the most successful within the different species for complete replication in the shortest time; it was chosen for the experiment. But it was too s..strong, causing my cell ssstructure to mutate into the ssssstronger personality," he said with increasing difficulty as his lizard side started to dominate.

"How do you keep your human form if the Reptilian DNA is dominant?" Helena asked.

"I developed a serum to suppress the mutation. But it was only temporary. I thought in the States, with better equipment, I could solve my problem. Another mistake," he admitted derisively. "I got access to better equipment but lost my supply of raw materials for the serum; overseas the price was cheap and no one asked questions. Here, I can't afford them…and some of the drugs are illegal."

"So that's where Carl comes in," Helena guessed, getting an annoyed growl and nod.

"Another mistake," he admitted tersely. "I knew he had a cocaine habit and thought he could help me get the drugs I needed for my sssserum. And he did; he actually had quite the business," Daniel said derisively.

"Let me guess, he discovered how important the drugs were to you?" Helena asked softly, feeling sympathy for the life this once prominent and respected doctor got himself trapped in.

"Agggh!" he groaned as he contorted in pain; his skin further morphed, becoming more scaly, his voice raspier.

"Are you o…" Helena asked with concern.

"Don't! Don't pretend to care," he hissed, now in his full lizard form.

Helena frowned.

"You might not believe I care about you - fine. But you _**know**_ I care about the people Carl Tucker is putting at risk, Doc. I've got to stop him," she pressed with quiet urgency.

"He'ssssss not going to hurt anybody," the Lizard man said, but lacked conviction. "He just wantsss… money…from hissssss Grandfather," he noted, hoping that was true.

"He's _**already**_ hurt people! Selling drugs, enslaving you to be his muscle. You almost killed me on that roof – for HIM," she blurted, causing him to shift uncomfortably at the truth. "And that truck driver did not survive that accident you caused to get the Plutonium, Doc."

His head dropped in shame as Helena pressed on. "Do you really think he won't hurt others? What if his Grandfather doesn't pay?"

"Oh, he'll pay. He loves those little bastards too much not to," Carl boomed with a confident smile as he carefully walked into his apartment through the broken front door, pointing a pistol at them.

Helena's eyes darted to the window, which she noted was too far away.

"_Huntress, I'm sending backup to your position," Oracle said firmly._

"Ah ah, don't move, Helena. I'd hate to have to shoot you," Carl said with a smile.

"I'd hate that too; this is one of my nicest tops," she said cockily, making Carl chuckle and look over her attractive form.

"And it suits you," he said with a grin.

"So let me guess, these "little bastards" are at the Tucker House and that's the target?" Helena asked.

"Very good, Helena. You are pretty shrewd…for a bartender. But you're not just a bartender, are you?" Carl said with a sly smile as he stepped closer to Helena.

"She's dangeroussss," Daniel hissed.

"Oh, I knew that when I first met her. But I like danger," he said. "And I think you like danger too, don't you Helena," he smirked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Not as much as I used to," she honestly said with a shrug, knowing how much she could lose and how much she could hurt Barbara if she did something reckless.

"I have one last task for you, Daniel. And you'll get your drugs," Carl said, stepping back from Helena carefully, not taking his eyes off of her.

"It'll always be one more task, Doc. Just one more, then another, and another," Helena said. "You'll always be his slave, you know that don't you? You can stop him from hurting others," she argued passionately.

"S…Shut up!" Daniel spat as Carl laughed.

"He's a smart guy. He will eventually realize that he can't be normal without me and my connections," he smiled confidently.

"Your slave, you mean," Helena said with annoyance as her eyes started to turn.

"Whoa, now _that_ I didn't expect," Carl said with surprise.

"_Helena, what are you doing!" Oracle hissed worriedly._

"But then, I did expect you to be a tiger in bed," Carl said with amusement, taking everything in stride.

"I have connections too, Doc," Helena said, taking her eyes briefly off of the gunman to focus her cat-eyes on Daniel.

"Of course you do. Daniel, be a bud and carry her body into the basement after I shoot her, won't you?" Carl said with a winning smile as he raised his pistol to Helena, who tensed.

"Let us try to help you," Helena urged.

Daniel looked a hesitant moment at the woman who was not just human…and understood more than Carl.

Carl chuckled. "No one can help him like I can," he said, just before the pistol discharged.

**/BoP\**

"Helena!" Barbara called out, her hands balling up into tight fists.

"_Oracle, was that a gunshot?" Canary asked uneasily, flying down the street in the Humvee._

"Yes."

"_I'm almost there," Canary announced as she turned onto a shortcut to the Apartment building; the Humvee bounced violently from the pothole-filled alley._

"Huntress! Respond now, or so help me…" Oracle warned with annoyance, her heart pounding with dread.

"_Huntress here, Oracle. Situation with Carl Tucker is under control. We're heading to the Tucker house via Huntress Air. The bomb is there and armed," she reported concisely._

"We? Canary is en route . . . " Barbara questioned in confusion.

"_I'm with Dr. Connors. He helped assemble the bomb. And he's agreed to help disassemble it," she said, noting the lizard guy's discomfort as he glanced nervously at the ground._

Barbara blinked. "Copy that, Huntress. I'm alerting authorities now of the bomb and recommend they start evacuating the city."

"_You know, Red. You still suck at cheerleading," Huntress chuckled, shaking her head._

Barbara bit her lip and winced as the words caught up to her. "Uh, that is a prudent precautionary measure, Huntress," she explained.

"_You should also send a unit to Carl Tucker's apartment. He's not able to evacuate on his own," Huntress added._

"Copy that, Huntress," Barbara said uncomfortably. "Uh, you do know I'm confident you'll handle the situation without the need for evacuation. It's just a prudent precaution…" she offered again.

"_Roger, Oracle. I agree with precaution. But I do think it would be prudent to further elaborate to me in person just how confident you are in me."_

"I do like to be prudent," Barbara said, a small smile emerged briefly before it faded. "Be careful, ok?" she said hesitantly.

"_I'm looking forward to your elaboration, so of course," Helena said sassily._

"Of course."

"_Would you guys quit already?" Dinah said with exasperation._

"_Not a chance" and "Nope" were immediate answers, causing Dinah to growl as her mentors chuckled._

**/BoP\**

"Miss Barbara, your father is here," Alfred said, appearing by her side.

"What? I'm rather busy at the moment, Alfred. Can you tell him I'd really like a rain check on a visit?" Barbara said with quiet annoyance for the unexpected visit. She pushed her glasses up as she scanned the schematics of the detonation device on one of the large screens of Delphi.

"He said it was extremely important," Alfred countered firmly, looking at her pointedly with a raised brow.

Barbara fought not to roll her eyes as she wondered what was more important than trying to prevent a nuclear weapon from detonating in New Gotham. She nodded briskly with pursed lips, anxious to quickly handle this and get back to work.

Alfred nodded back and retrieved Jim Gordon from the elevator.

"Barbara," he said tensely.

"Hi, Dad. I'm kind of busy right now," Barbara said absently, looking at her various screens as her father joined her side.

"Does it have anything to do with the nuclear bomb?" Jim Gordon asked, also looking at the screens that were full of schematics.

"You heard the police scanners?" Barbara asked as she called up a holographic image of a typical detonator and studied it.

"So it's true," Jim said gravely, also looking at the image.

"I'm afraid so," she said, turning the image around as she inspected it.

"I actually got a call from Edward Tucker. He's at the station now with the ransom note telling him to transfer his fortune to a Swiss bank account by Midnight or New Gotham will become a nuclear wasteland. Who the hell would do that?"

"His grandson," Barbara replied, looking at the Delphi's clock that read eight forty five. A little over three hours was not a lot of time, she considered and took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"C…Carl?" Jim sputtered. "Dear God. Do we know where he is?" He asked tensely.

"Huntress…well, uh, a patrol unit has picked him up. He's on his way to the station now."

"Huntress, huh?" Jim had to smile.

"Yep."

"Suits her."

"It really does," Barbara said warmly. Jim could see the joy in her eyes when she spoke of Helena, happy his daughter found love.

"Uh, oh yes!" Jim said suddenly, pulling out a folded piece of paper from his breast pocket and handing it over to his daughter. "This is a copy of the note. Thought you might find it helpful," Jim said uncomfortably, handing over the piece of paper.

Barbara looked at him with surprise. She couldn't help the pleased smile that graced her face. His simple offering was an unmistakable expression of confidence in her ability and an unexpected endorsement in their shared calling of crime fighting. "Thank you, Dad," she said softly, clearly moved, and received an uncomfortable nod from Jim.

"_Oracle! We've got another problem," Helena blurted anxiously as she glanced at the timer reading eighty-four minutes…_

* * *

_TBC in Chapter 10_


	10. Chapter 10 - Bad Timing

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Bad Timing**

"Police have blocked the area! What's happening he…oh," Dinah said, rushing into the Tucker house gymnasium and joining Huntress and Lizard guy. "Seventy-six minutes!" She squeaked at the bold red numbers on the ominous digital timer.

"_Huntress, Edward Tucker's ransom note had a midnight deadline for a funds transfer," Oracle blurted in confusion. "We should have more than __**three**__ hours!"_

"The timer issss broken," Daniel said, pointing his scaly finger at the decreasing digits; now reading seventy-four minutes. "Fry! He must have sabotaged the timer!" he hissed.

"Can't you do something?!" Helena blurted anxiously, driving the lizard man to rush towards a nearby toolbox. He clumsily opened the clasps and pulled out a screwdriver, dropping it.

"I . . . can't" the talented surgeon admitted miserably, looking at his thick, scaly hands with disgust.

"_Huntress, what's happening?" Oracle blurted impatiently, hearing only part of the conversation._

"The Doc thinks the timer was sabotaged by Fry. It's counting down too fast - we've got seventy-two minutes now," Helena blurted quickly. "Doc! You can talk me through it," she said urgently, picking up the dropped screwdriver and glancing at the bomb warily, thinking perhaps settling down to just being a bartender wouldn't be so bad in the future.

"You need to be careful, Fry may have booby trapped it!" He said worriedly. Seeing her impatient and incredibly annoyed look, he offered, "take the cover plate off the timer…carefully," he added unnecessarily, wringing his scaly hands.

"_**Carefully**_ he says," Helena muttered, shooting a glance his way before slowly unscrewing the first screw. With the screw almost out, Helena jumped back in pain. "Agh! Goddamnit!" she said, dropping the screwdriver and cradling her shocked hand that still tingled.

"_Helena?!" Oracle called out anxiously._

"Oh no!" Dinah blurted nervously, seeing the timer now reading sixty-two minutes and counting down.

"_Helena!" Barbara called out impatiently._

"I'm Ok Red, just a zap; but I lost ten minutes. I think Fry anticipated someone wanting to inactivate the timer. I'm pretty sure he's done what he could to have this thing go off."

"I _**knew**_ he was enjoying this project too much," Daniel growled, shaking his head. He wasn't worried he would die soon; it would end his nightmare. But he never thought this bomb would actually be used for anything more than a bargaining tool. How stupid could he have been!?

Helena stared at the bomb, then around the large gymnasium as if seeking an answer or some inspiration. She looked up to the ceiling, then down to the bomb as a plan began to form.

"_Dinah, turn your micro-camera on. I want to see it," Barbara said, thinking she might be able to determine how it was booby-trapped._

Dinah quickly did as asked and a picture of the bomb appeared on several of Delphi's screens.

/BoP\

"Dear God. Carl, what have you done?" Jim whispered to himself, rubbing the back of his neck as the grave reality of the situation sunk in.

Barbara zoomed in on the bomb and frowned, needing a better angle.

"I'll make some tea," Alfred announced firmly and departed on his mission to the kitchen. Jim thought something stronger was needed.

"_Barbara, how big will the blast zone be?" Helena blurted impatiently._

/BoP\

Daniel's gaze shot towards Helena with surprise, hearing his old girlfriend's name. The person Helena had been talking to, Oracle, was Barbara? As he considered that amazing bit of information, he realized it really wasn't that surprising. Barbara Gordon was a brilliant and driven woman in college; the woman he knew wouldn't let paralysis stop her from making a difference, he considered, looking down at his scaled hands thoughtfully.

"_It will level all of New Gotham, Helena," Barbara said impatiently. "Now __**Dinah**__, your camera. I need to see the timer more closely…"_

"Barbara, the blast zone! I mean it! How big?" Helena interrupted irritably.

Barbara blinked, then frowned as she quickly pulled up a reference on Delphi. "Uh…given the mass of the Plutonium that was stolen I would approximate, not knowing the exact geometry of the internal mechanism…4.4 miles."

"4.6" Daniel interjected, shaking his head dejectedly at what Carl and he had done.

"Five it is," Helena said with a nod.

"_Dinah, the timer, I need to see it from the side," Barbara announced tersely._

"Give me the micro camera," Helena said, getting the teen to eye her uneasily as she pulled the device on her necklace and handed it to Helena, who provided Barbara her side picture.

"_Good…," Barbara said as the picture showed up on the Delphi's screen._

"Dinah, can you blast a hole through the ceiling?" Helena asked. "About yay big?" she said, holding her hands out the diameter of the bomb, then a few feet wider, moving the camera and disturbing Barbara's picture.

"_Helena?" Barbara said, growing more alarmed. "What are you thinking?" she asked as a disturbing feeling of dread swelled up as she considered the possibilities._

"Sorry about the picture, Red," Helena said, returning the micro camera to show the timer view Barbara wanted as she eyed Dinah then the ceiling.

Dinah looked at her a moment before her eyes widened in understanding. "Helena…" she said with worry.

"We have less than fifty-nine minutes, D. Come on, you can do it!" Helena said with conviction.

Dinah frowned and looked at the ceiling with a wince. Trying to focus, she felt a swirl of energy form and grow within. She threw her arm up in the air, releasing that energy in a blue, TK ball that hurled towards the ceiling. The ball hit it with a loud bang, causing a burst of light and violent shudder; glass from the lighting fixtures shattered and rained down upon them.

"Yes! Again!" Helena said enthusiastically.

"_Huntress, Canary, what the hell is going on?" Barbara said worriedly, hearing the bang. Jim frowned, wondering if all their "missions" were so nerve-wracking. _

"Do it, Dinah," Helena encouraged with a nod.

"_Helena, talk to me," Barbara said tensely. _

"Dinah is making a hole in the ceiling," Helena responded with optimism. "On purpose," she added with an amused smirk, making Dinah roll her eyes.

"_Helena, what are you thinking?" _Barbra said anxiously as Dinah took a deep breath and focused on her energy that swirled around her and pooled in her chest. Helena moved the camera into place as she eyed Dinah with a smile.

"I'm gonna get this thing out of here," Helena said firmly. "Somehow," she added with less confidence.

Throwing her arm in the air again, Dinah released another telekinetic ball that shot up to the ceiling, causing another loud boom that broke a few metal beams free and fall...to the gymnasium floor.

"_Helena…" Barbara called but heard the loud noises over the comms and frowned._

Seeing the heavy debris falling down towards the bomb, Helena cursed and flew towards them and batted all but one away. Dinah gasped, seeing the last beam plummet towards the bomb. Before she could focus and bring forth another energy ball, she saw a blur and a thick tail bat the beam away, letting it safety clatter on the floor.

Dinah smiled her thanks to Daniel, who landed with an unceremonious thud and shifted uncomfortably under her approving gaze. Something he had not experienced in his current form before; it felt good. "S..Sorry about…batting you off the roof top," he said awkwardly.

Dinah shrugged. "You're helping now, that's what matter," she said magnanimously with a smile.

"Forty-eight minutes!" Helena called out nervously, shaking her head trying to figure out how to haul the bomb out of there. She saw three small pad eyes on the top of the cylindrical bomb, but was sure she couldn't get a good grip and frowned, wishing she had a harness.

"We've got harnesses in the Humvee!" Dinah blurted, having read Helena's mind.

For once happy with that invasion of privacy, Helena nodded and shouted "GO!" prompting Dinah to rush off to retrieve a harness.

"_Helena, please don't do anything rash. If you can get a closer picture, I may be able to…."_

"Barbara, you **may** be able to? I just lost ten minutes when I tried to open up the timer. And we don't have the time to get equipment to x-ray through the metal. The only option I can see is me getting this goddamn thing out of here!" Helena said brusquely as Dinah came back with the needed rigging gear.

/BoP\

Barbara frowned. "What if the timer is triggered by motion or a change in elevation?"

_Helena sighed. "Then I suppose our problem is solved for us. Barbara, I can't just watch the time count down and we know it doesn't like to be tampered with."_

She had to admit Helena's comments were logical and her plan to get it out of the city was best for the city…but terribly dangerous for Helena. "W…where… do you intend on taking it?"Barbara finally asked, attempting to focus on the action Helena was planning to take, not the sick feeling that weighed heavily in her stomach.

/BoP\

"East. Over the ocean," Helena announced confidently as she approached the bomb. Her face scrunched up tensely as she carefully put the first carabiner on a pad eye and watched the timer. She exhaled a relieved breath to see no jump in time and more quickly attached the other carabiners. "The fish won't be happy but they _**are**_ lower on the food chain," Helena said bluntly.

/BoP\

Barbara nodded silently, reluctantly approving of the idea. An explosion over land, even a remote piece of land, would be riskier for the public. But it would complicate rescue attempts, she considered with a frown. Shaking her head, she quickly typed on her keyboard.

/BoP\

"Forty-six minutes," Dinah said nervously as she helped Helena into the harness.

Helena gave her a small, warm smile and received a hug. Dinah pulled back, having read her thoughts, which Helena clearly projected.

"I love you too. And you have a chance to tell her again, after you're back. This _**isn't**_ goodbye," Dinah offered with a brave smile.

Helena nodded hoping she was right, then pursed her lips with disapproval. "When I get back, you're going to have to _**stop**_ doing that," she scolded, poking her in the shoulder.

"Hey, _**you**_ need to stop projecting!" Dinah poked her back.

"Sure, blame the victim," Helena lamented, placing her hand over her poked "injured" arm.

"_Helena," Barbara said softly, unable to hide her emotion. _

Helena's eyes shut a pained moment as the worry in Barbara's voice shot to her heart. She knew very well how she would feel if the positions were reversed. Taking a fortifying breath, Helena plastered on a wry smile.

"You know, Barbara. Now would be a great time for your inner cheerleader to come out," she joked, then added thoughtfully "I wonder if there is a course you could take…"

"_I don't think New Gotham U actually has classes for that," Barbara noted softly._

"Like you really checked," Helena scoffed as she and Dinah worked on tightening her harness straps.

"_Perhaps after this…you can help me find a course."_

"Better yet . . . after this, maybe Nightwing can cover New Gotham with Dinah for a couple of nights and we can finally experience what it's like to have extended, uninterrupted time together. How does that sound?" Helena said with a small, warm smile at the thought, looking up through the hole in the ceiling.

/BoP\

"_That sounds…" Barbara strangled her words, struggling with her emotion. Knowing she had to hold it together - for both of them, she took a fortifying breath. "…much better than a cheerleading course," she managed dryly, wanting nothing more than to be with Helena on that vacation __**now**__._

/BoP\

"I should hope so!" Helena said with mock indignation relieved by Barbara's teasing, needing her warm voice in her ear which always helped her focus. And she needed that focus if she was going to pull this off. She glanced at Dinah, who lunged at her, giving her another hug. "Ooof!"

"You can do this!" Dinah said, pulling back, with a teary but encouraging smile.

"Now _**that's**_ what a good cheerleader does, Barbara," Helena joked with a small smile, squeezing Dinah's arm before slowly levitating and causing the harness to become taught.

"_If anyone can do it, it's you Helena," Barbara offered with heart-felt conviction, though her stomach knotted with worry._

"There you go! _**Much**_ better, Red," Helena offered with a small smile as the harness creaked under the weight of the several hundred pound bomb. Finally, the bomb was lifted off the gymnasium floor. Daniel looked on with amazement as she hovered then slowly floated higher in the air. All eyes watched the timer, which thankfully seemed to be unaffected by the elevation change.

/BoP\

Barbara struggled against the chaos of emotions, knowing how important it was to focus on the mission…and Helena. She knew Helena was nervous, even though she too put up a brave front. Always the brave front, Barbara thought with frustration. Always "**the mission,**" she considered with growing resentment as her eyes narrowed at Delphi's computer screens. It consumed her. And she let it. Willingly.

Yet it never bothered her before now, she realized with disturbing clarity and quickly called up Helena's GPS on the screen, desperate to see exactly where Helena was...as if that would somehow give her a shred of control over the situation - the situation that she knew had the ability to cripple her more than the loss of her legs.

"_I knew you had it in you!" Helena offered approvingly._

Taking a deep, thoughtful breath, Barbara offered, "Well, even a blind squirrel eventually can find a nut, Hel."

How much time had she wasted, dealing with the ugly, dark side of humanity? And because of her, how much of Helena's and Dinah's? This was not all that there was. There was **so** much more, Barbara finally, _**really**_ understood, thanks to Helena.

/BoP\

Helena chuckled. "I have to admit, I've never considered you a blind squirrel, Red," she offered as she and the bomb cleared the building, drawing the attention from the small group of men and women in blue that had dutifully secured the building and stood watch.

A policeman grabbed his cruiser's floodlight and directed it towards Helena, cutting through the night sky. He and his partner quickly looked at each other before jumping into their cruiser to follow beneath her, like earthly custodians keeping their airborne savior company as she flew from the building and over New Gotham.

Truth be told, Helena didn't mind the company.

The evacuating citizens briefly paused their exodus as one young woman pointed to the sky. "Look!"

All looked up to see what they hadn't thought possible; the bomb being taken away from the city by a dark-haired woman in a leather duster who could...fly. One young teen whistled and clapped with encouragement, prompting the others to join in enthusiastic and hopeful cheering.

/BoP\

"Really? Look how long it took me to finally succumb to your charms," Barbara noted, intently staring at Helena's GPS signal on her screen.

With a guilty ache in her heart, Barbara promised herself that when this was over, she would focus more on the woman who unexpectedly brought joy to her life. They could travel - someplace where brave fronts were not needed, where they could be free of the suffocating responsibilities that crime fighting brought them, where they had no "mission" other than to enjoy the simple, beautiful things in life, like sharing time with the person who managed to fill her fiercely guarded heart with such profound love. She would not waste a moment with Helena, Barbara vowed with singular purpose.

"_Well, everyone does eventually," Helena joked, waving to the people. "Resistance is futile," she added, shifting to slightly increase her speed and distance away from the people below._

"You do know you're meta, not Borg?" Barbara countered, pulling her glasses off to rub her eyes, surprised by the cup of tea and plate of cookies that appeared by her side. She weakly smiled her thanks to Alfred, who stood at one side, as always, ready to assist any way he could. She looked back to her father, who stood behind him and nodded with confidence, offering the same.

"_HA! I'm better than the Borg," Helena boasted. "They sought perfection and never found it. But I actually __**found**__ it," she claimed confidently. "You know that, right?" Helena asked softly as she looked down at the bomb and the buildings below her as she carefully soared up and away from the city._

Jim Gordon smiled, pleased Helena actually thought so, even if she was laying it on a bit thick. But Helena was known for her smooth talking…

"Really?" she asked nonchalantly, starting to reach for the cup of tea, but found her hands trembling too much and stopped, instead discreetly clenching them into fists and burying them in her lap as she cleared her throat. "And what did you find?" Barbara asked softly, knowing she had found it as well. It was a most unexpectedly perfect gift - Helena's love.

"_Strawberry poptart smores!" Helena joked happily._

Jim winced. So much for smooth talking, he considered and looked at Alfred, who sighed.

Barbara chuckled, oddly charmed by Helena's humor, making Helena inordinately pleased.

"You do know you just scored a big fat zero on the woo meter, don't you?" Barbara countered, returning a familiar complaint as she put on her glasses with a barely noticeable tremble in her hand.

But Jim noticed this time, his eyes widening with surprise at the traitorous indication that the impressive Oracle was not as cool, calm, and collected, as she wanted to project. The disconcerting sight almost compelled him to give his daughter a big hug and tell her everything would be all right; but he had no idea if it would be. Instead he frowned, and resigned himself to just praying the resourceful Helena Kyle would be successful.

"_So what if I share my strawberry poptart smores with you? Any better?" Helena asked hopefully. _

"Uh, not quite. Meter is still on…oh wait, it's now negative," Barbara noted.

"_Well damn! You really don't like pop tarts, do you?" Helena complained._

"I like _**you**_. Just share yourself with me…that's all I want," Barbara said, with surprising emotion, closely watching the GPS signal as Helena headed towards the ocean. But the incredible fact that Helena was actually going to save New Gotham did little to bring her relief; Helena, as well as the few coastal cities still in the bomb's blast zone, remained at great risk.

/BoP\

"That's good to know," Helena said, mildly concerned by Barbara's comment, which reminded her how hard it was for Barbara to remain behind in the tower as her teammates, including her lover, were in harm's way. "Takes the pressure off gift giving," Helena quipped, not one for emotional conversations, especially when she had a mission to complete. She frowned, suddenly really, really hating that part of her life.

As she eyed the coast she passed over it, excitement grew as the light lining it shrunk into small specks behind her. Maybe she would actually pull this off, she considered with growing hope, wanting nothing more than to go home to Barbara, wrap herself around the love of her life, and show her how much she loved her.

/BoP\

"And you call _**me**_ cheap," Barbara mildly scoffed, noting that Helena was making good progress, which made her cautiously hopeful. The weight of fear that had settled in her stomach slowly started to ease.

Jim couldn't help but smile, never prouder of his daughter as he watched first-hand how she navigated this emotional minefield with determination and impressive grace. Though he knew part of the reason was Helena, who had become her surprising anchor at an early age. Their strained banter just reinforced what he already knew - they were well suited for each other.

/BoP\

"Well, you have to admit, it's hard to find a gift for the girl who has everything…namely, **me**," Helena said immodestly, stretching her arm out to eke out that last bit of speed she could.

She smiled as she felt the wind against her skin increase, finally able to control her flying as she had hoped. It sure beat crashing into buildings; not that she had to worry about that at the moment, she considered glancing over the vast, beautiful ocean before her that glittered from the moonlight. This would be a story to tell her grandkids, she considered, then snorted at that surprisingly domestic thought.

/BoP\

"And I want **everything**, Helena," Barbara said firmly, hoping Helena understood.

"_And you call __**me**__ self-indulgent," she said. _

"Well, you've spoiled me," Barbara said with a growing smile, feeling hopeful by Helena's position, now well out of range of New Gotham and nearly out of range of coastal populations.

"_You __**deserve**__ to be spoiled, Red," Helena said firmly, hoping she'd get to be the one as she looked down at the timer and her eyes widened._

"So spoil me. Marry me, Helena," Barbara blurted in challenge, surprising even herself.

"_Marry?" Helena responded with a startled voice. _

A surprised Jim looked over to Alfred, who wore a small, pleased smile, confirming he too had just heard his daughter propose to Helena Kyle.

Noticing Helena's position, her proposal was forgotten. "Hel, you are well clear now!" Barbara responded with a big smile. "You can drop the bomb!"

"_Shit…." _

Her smile faded at Helena's proclamation.

"_Guys? What's happening?" Dinah called with alarm, driving back to the tower in the Humvee._

Barbara's gaze focused on the alarming GPS signal, which seemed to indicate she was slowing down. "Helena! You shouldn't slow down after dropping the bomb," she blurted, as her mind raced through other reasons for the exclamation, each scenario becoming worse. "Helena? Helena, please confirm you dropped the bomb," Barbara anxiously called, her hand shooting up to the earpiece, straining to hear . . . _something_. "Helena, _**please**_ respond."

Deafeningly silent moments passed.

"Damn it, Helena! Respond!" she growled, banging her fist on the desk in frustration, desperate for a response. Seeing Helena's GPS signal disappear, she realized she wouldn't be getting one.

"Helena," she softly exhaled in anguish.

"Barbara?" Jim called uncertainly, reaching out a cautious hand to squeeze her shoulder as the Clock Tower was plunged into darkness.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 11...


	11. Chapter 11 - Into Darkness

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Into Darkness**

Barbara blinked rapidly as tears welled up. A grief-stricken cry welled up, muffled by her shaky hand that covered her mouth.

"What's happening?" Jim Gordon asked with alarm, looking anxiously around the dark room.

"An electromagnetic pulse," Alfred answered and explained. "From the bomb's explosion…." he added gravely.

/BoP\

Dinah pointed her grappling gun towards the adjacent clock tower and braced herself as she took a shot. The city had become dark and eerily quiet, allowing her to hear the whooshing of the grapnel through the air and the crunching thunk as it lodged itself into the concrete wall.

With a fortifying breath, she anchored the wire and began her climb towards home. She expected the Tower to be protected from the effects but it was still on lockdown mode, which automatically kicked in upon a complete loss of power, preventing her accessing the stairwell at top floors where they lived. She wondered why Barbara hadn't reset the security system.

After a long, slow trek on the wire between the buildings, she released her grip and landed inelegantly on the ledge with a heavy exhale. Wiping the sweat off her forehead with her forearm, she headed into the tower to find a few candles lit, casting an almost romantic glow in the room. But she knew the reason was far from romantic; the bomb had exploded and played havoc with electrical systems several miles within its vicinity.

Her eyes drifted to Delphi, taking in the disturbing sight; the normally active computer system was now completely dark. Her gaze dropped to an even more disturbing sight of Barbara's ever-present electric wheelchair, currently empty.

"Barbara? Barbara, where are you?" Dinah called out as she walked towards the chair.

"She's in her room with her father, Miss Dinah," Alfred said softly, coming from the kitchen with a lit candle in hand. "Her chair's electronics were damaged by the electromagnetic pulse," he offered, seeing Dinah glance back to the chair uncomfortably.

"O…oh," Dinah said awkwardly, walking towards him before suddenly stopping at the overwhelming feeling of despair.

"Al..fred?" She croaked as tears filled her eyes that desperately sought his. Though the candlelight cast distorted shadows across his face, she could still see profound sadness.

She glanced back to the inactive computer, the empty chair, then back to him. "No…." Dinah whispered.

**/BoP\**

Dinah approached Barbara's door with a candle to find Jim Gordon emerging. "How is she?"

Jim looked at the young crime fighter sadly and shook his head. "Not good, Dinah. It's like after she was shot," he said worriedly. "But this time, she blames herself for . . . the bomb…Helena," he said tiredly, motioning vaguely to the dark room not sure what to do for his daughter.

Dinah frowned. "She can't just give up!" She blurted with concern and marched into Barbara's room. She hesitated a moment, feeling the thick wall of despair that grew in intensity the closer she got to her mentor. Stepping closer, she cringed at the still form in a manual chair, staring out the bedroom window into the dark city; almost as if she was just pondering something trivial. But Dinah could feel how much Barbara's heart was aching.

"Barbara?" Dinah said uncomfortably, approaching Barbara slowly. After a long moment, Barbara looked up at the patient teen, who looked at her beseechingly, but dropped her gaze in despair. "Barbara, you can't give up on her now. Especially now. There's too much to do."

"There is always too much to do, Dinah. And it's never enough," Barbara lamented quietly, with a tired exhale, withdrawing again into her depressing thoughts of "what ifs."

What if she had focused better on the crimes with Lizard guy and the Plutonium and figured out what was happening before the bomb was actually built?

She'd be alive, Barbara considered morosely.

What if she never tried to convince Helena that crime fighting was the right thing for her?

She'd be alive….

"Barbara, Helena wouldn't let something like a bomb keep her from coming home," Dinah said with determination.

Barbara rubbed her temples slowly and looked at her ever-optimistic ward. "Helena is Meta, Dinah. Not immortal…in spite of how she acted," Barbara responded, her gaze dropping to avoid the earnest look that just made her want to cry.

"You don't know for sure what happened, Barbara. Sure it looks bad - but we're talking HELENA, Barbara," Dinah argued.

Not getting an answer, Dinah sighed as her mind raced.

"I know you hurt. I can _**feel**_ it," Dinah offered.

"Dinah! Stop! You have NO right!" Barbara blurted with frustration, wishing she would just leave her to her misery. But Dinah was like a dog with a bone and continued, undeterred.

"You have to remember, Barbara, if there was _**any way**_ to survive the bomb blast, she would have found a way. If you can't believe anything else, believe in THAT," Dinah said firmly.

"The chances are . . . ," Barbara said, unable to finish the thought aloud. She wished she could believe that for once, she didn't have to suffer a terrible loss. Things were going so amazingly with Helena, even with the 0.4 seconds missing in her remerging. But she should have known Helena would have been just one of many losses she had to endure in life…her mother, her legs, her mentor...now, Helena.

"Well, Helena never really cared about Probability or Statistics," Dinah said wryly, gaining a surprised look from Barbara. "And did you ever really understand the changes in her after the remerging?"

In spite of Barbara's reluctance, those comments sparked a dangerous ember of hope in her. She had no clue the scope of what else might have changed in Helena as a result of the incomplete remerging.

"Was the backup power system hardened?" Dinah asked.

With a weak nod, Barbara added "and Delphi." She chuckled without humor as her hope was suffocated by reality. "But not my chair. Of course, I forgot my chair," she said derisively at yet another mistake of hers.

"We'll need things back working if we are going to figure out what happened. Because right now, we're guessing," Dinah said sagely, then her youthful discomfort came through. "Right?"

Barbara looked at her a moment. She wasn't sure if she could bring herself to have even a fraction of the hope Dinah had, but Dinah was right. She had to bury her emotions, something she had much experience with, and focus on the task at hand - figuring out what actually happened to Helena.

"I'm…going to need some help getting around," Barbara said with difficulty.

**/BoP\**

Neither Barbara nor Dinah rested, busying themselves with establishing backup power, lifting the lockdown of the top floors, and rebooting Delphi.

Jim knew better than to tell his daughter to rest, as much as she physically needed it. But he knew she would get little sleep and needed to remain busy and feel useful to not dwell on Helena missing in action. He too tried to remain busy and useful, even helping out with the backup generator.

Alfred brought a tray of sandwiches for the three. Dinah and Jim gladly accepted the late night…or early morning snack as it was almost 3 am.

"Miss Barbara?" Alfred said.

"I'm not hungry, Alfred," Barbara said softly, sitting at Delphi's main console, methodically calling up the many systems one by one. Jim frowned, wondering whether he should say anything. He looked to Dinah, who shook her head no.

"You don't need to be. Eat up, Miss Barbara. You need to keep your strength up," Alfred said firmly.

Barbara pulled her glasses off and noted his pointed look just daring her to argue. Aware of his steely determination and not having the energy or inclination to fight, she nodded. "Thank you," she said politely and started eating her sandwich.

Jim exhaled a relieved breath and glanced to Dinah again, finding her smiling. He was pleased his daughter had people around her who cared and would challenge her when needed.

"I would have done more, had the appliances not been affected," Alfred noted, pointedly staring at Barbara before he left.

Barbara glanced at the kitchen thoughtfully. She recalled Batman's lesson on the concerns with EMI and was well aware of the importance of shielding vital equipment; she knew she did not want to be vulnerable to a criminal and the massive chaos a loss of electrical equipment could produce so Delphi's mainframe had been shielded for that threat. But she forgot her electric chair, which still needed to be repaired. And she forgot that crime fighters needed to eat too. She wondered what else had she forgotten? What other mistakes she had made….

/BoP\

"There," Barbara said, as she finished tapping a string of commands. Delphi's screens filled up with a news program.

"Yes!" Dinah cheered, wanting to know what was going on.

"… _detonated approximately 10:04 AM last night off the US Eastern seaboard…" the Canadian newsreader announced as the screen showed a map of the site where the bomb exploded._

"_Several American cities are suffering a blackout due to the bombs electromagnetic pulse. National Guard units are being deployed to help maintain order as public works engineers repair the damaged power grid and return normal services. The United States Government reported to world leaders that this was not a government weapon, but one designed for a failed extortion plan. Carl Tucker, the suspected extortionist, has been taken into custody by New Gotham Police. A ransom note was provided to his billionaire Grandfather, Edward …."_

Barbara sighed with surprising disappointment, not sure why she expected any useful information regarding Helena. As if a newscast would have any information on her role in saving thousands of lives, she considered tiredly. Her hand combed through her hair as she thought about how much the general public didn't know about the brave men and women vigilantes protecting them…sometimes at a great cost to themselves. Taking a fortifying breath, she supposed she should take some consolation that an inadvertent global war between nuclear superpowers was likely avoided. Yay.

Seeing an incoming call from Nightwing, she muted the newscast. "Oracle here. Good to hear your voice, Nightwing," she said honestly, relieved to have some more help.

"_Thank god. Are you guys ok?" he asked but didn't wait for an answer. "It's been a madhouse here with the looting. I swear, just when you don't think people could sink any lower, they exceed your expe…"_

"Dick!" Barbara interrupted bluntly.

"_What's wrong?" he said uneasily, knowing she didn't usually slip with his name._

"Helena's…missing," she informed him tightly.

_He took a moment to digest that uncomfortable piece of information. "What happened?" Nightwing finally asked._

"She found the bomb and . . . flew it away," Barbara said with difficulty, blinking back tears that wanted to form.

"_Is she…?" he asked._

"Missing," Barbara answered firmly, attempting to hold onto hope.

_After another pause, he asked carefully, "What…do you want me to do?" _

She felt the tear roll down her cheek at his question. Indeed, what did she want him to do?

There was general chaos in the streets that needed to be quelled, or at least minimized until the National Guard arrived. Duty would dictate they should handle the opportunistic thugs that risked many people with injury or death - not waste resources searching for one person.

Duty was what her mind told her was the right thing to do.

"_Oracle?" Dick asked, waiting for an answer._

"Find her," Barbara said.

/BoP\

_The masked man looked down from his batplane cockpit, over the vast blue ocean that had easily swallowed any indication of a nuclear blast. "Oracle, this is Nightwing."_

"Go ahead, Nightwing."

"_Except for the blackout on the coast and the residual radiation, it's as if there was no bomb," he said, shaking his head, glancing at his computer screen and the higher than usual radiation readings that were dropping off as he flew away from the detonation point. "Her coms link is hardened, right?"_

"Yes."

"_Oracle…I'm not getting her signal," Dick said hesitantly._

Barbara head dropped slightly. "I understand."

"It could have malfunctioned!" Dinah chimed in.

"_I'm not sure what else to do, Oracle," he said uneasily, knowing even if she didn't manage to get incinerated and just got knocked out, she'd be at the bottom of the ocean. And he was pretty sure her metapowers did not include breathing water. Hell, with Helena's luck she'd have that super power too, he considered._

Barbara blinked as panic rose up within her. She wasn't sure what to do either. What was the next thing to try? Why couldn't she think?!

Dinah felt Barbara's emotional churn. When no answer seemed to be forthcoming, she offered, "Well flying a bomb around probably took a lot of energy. Right? She probably would have looked for a place to land and recover. So we won't get a signal over the ocean cause she's not there."

Barbara nodded, wanting to kick herself for missing the obvious. "Dinah's right. Nightwing, from the point of detonation, go to the nearest land mass and search for her signal there," she added.

"_I'm on it, Oracle," Nightwing interjected, tapping into his navigational computer. "I'll bet she's probably annoyed I haven't picked her up yet," Dick joked, attempting to remain positive, though he considered the likelihood of Helena somehow surviving the blast was less than winning the lottery. Not that she needed it as a billionaire's daughter…. _

"Probably," Barbara responded with a small smile, oddly warmed at the thought of Helena once again being mad at Dick. Though their truce had been a wonderful surprise for her, having experienced too many headaches with them acting like children and battling each other over every stupid thing. But she would gladly forfeit that truce and endure the return of snarky comments to just hear Helena's voice again.

"_Nightwing out."_

/BoP\

After a large yawn, one of many, Dinah continued to pace as Barbara absently stared at the muted Canadian news reports on the large computer screen, deep in her thoughts. They hadn't heard any reports from Dick in over two hours and Barbara seemed to retreat further into quiet despair.

"Dinah?" Jim Gordon quietly spoke.

Dinah stopped her pacing to look at Jim, who gently waved her over to him. She briefly glanced at Barbara, who still absently stared at the screen. She could feel the persistent guilt and heart ache that radiated from the older woman, though it was somewhat more muted, perhaps because emotions took energy and Barbara looked beat…almost defeated. Dinah frowned after a yawn and went to Jim's side.

"Why don't you get some rest? We'll let you know if there is any development," he said, seeing the torn expression on the teen's tired face. "If she were well-rested herself, she would be lecturing you on getting your rest, you know," he added with a knowing smile.

Dinah responded with a small smile at that truth. The smile faded. "I don't think she believes…" she said sadly.

He nodded and both looked at Barbara a long moment before Dinah departed for bed.

Alfred almost startled him when he appeared by his side, though there was a sound that accompanied his walking, the soft crinkle from his leather shoes. "Alfred," Jim said without turning.

"Mr. Gordon, perhaps you and Miss Barbara would care for a break?" He said, prompting Jim to turn and begin to object, before he noted what Alfred's tray contained.

"Are you sure Dinah's the only one who reads people's minds?" Jim said, relieving the tray from Alfred's hands.

Alfred smiled slightly, nodded his head, and retreated to the kitchen.

Jim stepped onto the dais and set the tray next to Barbara's keyboard. He gained her attention when he started to pour the whiskey. Holding out the glass he just poured, she shook her head no.

"I need a clear mind."

"For that you need sleep. This might help you to do that," he said.

She looked at him a moment and finally took the glass. "Thank you for looking after Dinah. I didn't even think..." she said guiltily, taking a sip.

"She's a good kid and devoted to you," Jim said, pouring himself a glass.

"Maybe too devoted," Barbara said tersely. "She's so young," she added guiltily.

"Hmm. What would you have done if I had forbidden you to fight crime with Batman because of the danger?" Jim said conversationally, sipping his drink.

"I would have found a way to still fight crime," Barbara said honestly. "But I was stubborn and so convinced I could make a difference," she sneered with self-disgust.

"You did, you do."

"But is enduring _this_ worth it?" Barbara said sharply, motioning to the muted newscast, which showed an old news clip of a 1950's nuclear explosion and mushroom cloud. "And I'm letting _**another**_ innocent girl get involved in this…insanity!"

"I suspect you _**letting**_ her has nothing to do whether she gets involved. Dinah wants to fight crime, Barbara. I believe her best chance for staying safe is working with you."

At one time, Barbara would have relished his words of support and confidence. But now, they rang hollow. "Recent events strongly suggest you're wrong," Barbara blurted and finished off her drink.

"Barbara, _**if," **_he stressed pointedly, "Helena _**is**_ dead," he continued bluntly, making her flinch. "It is because she took a risk to save _**thousands**_ of lives. Helena had not understood the concept of selflessness -until you. Helena had not understood the concept of duty – until you. She took that risk because it was the right, decent thing to do. Something that, before you, she would never have fathomed to do."

"Don't you see? She never _wanted_ this life, Dad," she argued, then expelled a breath which seemed to drain her of her anger, leaving only sorrow. "She did it for me," Barbara explained softly. "And she'd be alive, if it wasn't for me," she whispered as fresh tears fell.

"It's natural to feel guilt, honey. But it doesn't mean you're right about it," he said gently.

Her gaze dropped as she just shook her head, fully believing it was her fault.

"You are going to be no use if you don't get some sleep soon," Jim said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I won't be able to sleep," she said tiredly, wiping her eyes and looking at the newscast.

"When your mother died, I found some comfort in holding her pillow. It smelled of her," he said, finishing his drink.

Jim retreated to the kitchen and found Alfred sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea.

"Care for some chamomile tea, Mr. Gordon?" Alfred asked, starting to get up.

"I'll get it," he said with a small wave and headed to the heating plate with a pot of tea on it. "I see you've found some equipment that's not computerized. I swear you need a master's degree in engineering to figure out how to operate kitchen appliances these days," he joked, pouring the tea.

"While the convenience of technology is appealing, I find a certain comfort in simplicity," Alfred said, getting a nod of agreement from Jim.

"I still have the toaster my wife and I got for a wedding gift. It's old but I've never needed to buy a new one," he said, sitting down across from Alfred.

"I made up the guest room for you, fresh towels are on the bed."

"Thank you, Alfred," he said and sipped the tea.

"Your daughter is very resilient, Mr. Gordon," Alfred said, getting a small nod from Jim.

"So was Bruce Wayne," Jim noted gravely, knowing even resilient people have their limits and can break.

/BoP\

Barbara climbed into bed and rolled to face Helena's side. She reached out for Helena's pillow and slowly pulled it to her face, taking a deep breath. She could barely detect Helena's scent, but it was there. She gently wrapped her arms around the pillow, as if it were something rare and fragile.

/Bop\

"_I'm so sorry, Barbara," Dick said with a gravelly voice as he pulled down the sheet from the body to show the burned body he had retrieved. "If only you could have found a way to defuse that bomb," Dick added, shaking his head and looking at her with disappointment._

_Helena was almost unrecognizable. Her head was burned on the left side, missing hair and flesh to reveal bone. The left hand and forearm were also missing, leaving a charred stump behind. _

With a frightened gasp, Barbara jerked awake with her heart pounding. The sharp churn in her stomach made her scramble out of bed. She quickly transferred herself to her chair and rolled as fast as she could to the bathroom. Slipping out of her chair and onto the floor in front of the commode, she could no longer hold back the nausea and expelled what little she had eaten and the whiskey into the bowl, before quietly sobbing for her loss, unable to hold onto the little hope she had.

/BoP\

"_I'm sorry, Oracle," Nightwing said, shaking his head as he flew over the coast one more time. "I'm not picking up her GPS. And I've swept the closest areas three times. Maybe it's broken, like Dinah said?" he offered uncomfortably. Not getting an answer, he asked "Oracle?"_

"Uh Nightwing? It's Canary. Ba…Oracle told me to call off the search. But I'm not ready to. I think you should continue. Do you copy?" Dinah asked uncomfortably.

"_I copy," he said with a worried frown for Barbara's giving up. "I'm going to land and question the people on what they saw. Helena was never very subtle, which I hope is still true," he said with forced optimism. _

"Depends on what it's about, actually," Diana noted, then scanned the map she called up on the monitor. "Nightwing? Helena was never very good at turning, which would have been needed if she was headed for the closest land mass. What if you extend her flight path and look there?"

"_That's just water, Canary. That . . . wouldn't be good for her."_

"Dick, I just have a hunch," she said, biting her lip.

* * *

Continued in Chapter 12...


	12. Chapter 12 - Katarina Novolski

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Second**

A Birds of Prey Story (B/H)

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Katarina Novolski**

Helena slowly regained consciousness. She groggily raised her hand to shield her eyes as light from the rising sun grew in intensity. A gentle, chilly breeze caressing her skin and hard, cold metal against her back prompted a shiver and curiosity. Blinking, she looked around to survey where she was - on a metal box surrounded by a wide expanse of water all around her. Slowly sitting up, she winced at the stiffness of her entire body. Finally, her exhausted brain put the pieces together; she was on a cargo ship, with no land on the horizon.

Great.

She was unlikely to get home soon, too tired to fly at the moment. Well, at least she hadn't become fish food, she thought.

Hearing someone on the deck below, she quickly realized she was exposed just sitting dumbly on top of a stack of cargo crates in the brightening daylight. With some effort, she marshaled the needed energy to silently slip down between the stacked crates and out of sight, concluding the Captain and his crew might not appreciate an unexpected visitor just showing up in the middle of the ocean. And she really did not want to explain that she flew here. Her eyes widened with alarm as she noted a man with a machine gun, roaming about the deck.

Must be some important cargo, she considered as her stomach growled. Loudly.

"Who's there!?" the man shouted, coming cautiously closer, holding his weapon at the ready.

_Fuck! _Helena silently cursed and tried to quietly retreat and have time to assess the situation. If she were not so damn tired, she would gladly have just flown away and gone home.

Carefully backing up between the crates away from the man, she suddenly felt the barrel of a weapon against her back. "Move and I shoot. You understand?" Another male voice barked, roughly poking her with the weapon for good measure.

"Yes," Helena said, rolling her eyes with an annoyed sigh, lifting her hands up in defeat as her stomach growled again.

**/BoP\**

Four armed men escorted Helena to the ship's mess deck, the biggest room for a gathering. The one leading the armed pack looked like the oldest, with a mean, weathered face and thinning grey hair topped with a Captain's hat with a most notable pistol holstered on his hip. The rest wore heavy sweaters and some knit caps. She supposed they were some sort of merchant marines. But she didn't recall merchant marines being so heavily armed.

Of course, the ship she happened upon would be the one running contraband with a little army onboard, she considered with irritation that quickly changed to curiosity. Did that make them _**pirates**_? She never would have guessed she'd be dealing with pirates in her line of work. Though they were pretty lame pirates – not one of them had an eye patch and she was pretty sure they didn't have a parrot.

They shoved her into a chair, and she let them, knowing there would be less chance of injury if she was more rested and fed before engaging them…and that Barbara would be really pissed if she got shot again.

Glancing at the guy binding her to the arms of the chair, then to the three others glaring at her, she asked with mild annoyance, "Where are the cooks?" as she realized the kitchen was empty of hot food – and it was breakfast time!

She did find an interesting bowl of protein bars at the end of the metal counter. Though she wouldn't choose them if she had a choice, she'd take pop tarts of course, but right now she wasn't fussy; she was just tired and ridiculously hungry. She considered that she should start bringing a candy bar or something with her on sweeps and missions. Though bulging pockets of candy might ruin the sexy lines of her outfit. A utility belt might be one option….

The surprised men glanced at their Captain, whose eyes narrowed with anger that their captive did not clearly appreciate the gravity of the situation.

"Who are you?" The Captain-hatted man growled, trying for intimidation.

"Where am I?" Helena countered, glancing around.

"You boarded a ship and don't know which one?" the leader asked incredulously.

"I wasn't planning on coming here," Helena said honestly.

"Hey, Jack, do you think the boss sent her with us to keep an eye on the goods?" the redheaded man with poorly kept beard eagerly asked.

"Shut your pie-hole, idiot," the youngest man, a dirty blond with a nose that had been on the losing side of too many fights, hissed.

Helena mentally groaned, her suspicions confirmed. Why she couldn't have run across a cruise ship? THEY had tons of food. And alcohol, which she thought she was more than entitled to after the day she had had. Was it too much to ask for a fucking break!?

"Who the hell are you?!" he blurted at her vague answer.

"A tired traveler looking for a ride?" she said with a tired smile that was quickly erased by a backhand to her face.

"Hey! Is that anyway to treat a guest?"

"I don't know where you hid," Jack blurted and glared at his men, who he assumed were unsuccessful with policing the ship for such intruders, "but you are a _**stowaway**_. Maritime law would give me the right to shoot you right now," the leader spoke with a slight smile; it was clear he'd enjoy it.

"You can legally detain me for being a stowaway, but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to call law enforcement, not execute someone who's in no position to do anything to harm you," she said innocently, wiggling her arms against the tie wraps that bound her to the chair to emphasize the point.

"Are you a fucking cop?" A redheaded man interjected anxiously, stepping closer and waving his pistol more threateningly at her, getting a glare from the leader for speaking out of turn.

"Do I _**look**_ like a cop?" she offered and looked down her leather outfit then back at them with a mildly offended look.

"No," the redheaded man responded sheepishly.

"Enough! We've got a shipment to deliver on time or the boss man will have an excuse to short-change us. Shoot her," the gray-haired leader said dismissively, and turned to leave the mess decks.

The blond man spoke up. "Skipper, can't we have a little fun first?" he asked eagerly, quickly looking over her fine body with a smirk.

The Captain paused his departure with a frown. "You better get your work done. I'll be on the bridge. We had better get to New Gotham in five hours. Or I'll be target practicing on you lot, " he said gruffly and left.

After a few quiet moments of uneasiness with the remaining men, the redheaded sailor noted, "That wasn't a no," as he looked over Helena's body hungrily.

"Hey! It was my idea. I go first," the young blond man complained.

"Shut it, junior, I'm the senior of the three of…," the black man growled.

"Guys!" Helena interrupted, then smiled tightly when their eyes were on her. "Excuse me, but can I have some food first? Last meal and all? And to stop my stomach from growling," she said in a resigned tone, her stomach punctuating the odd request by a loud sound from her gut.

"That is kind of gross," the black man acknowledged with a grimace. Helena rolled her eyes.

The three glanced at each other an uncertain moment then with agreeing shrugs, the redhead closest to the bowl of protein bars grabbed a few in his thick hand and walked towards Helena. He paused in front of her, eyeing her warily.

"You could feed me…or free a hand," Helena suggested. "Up to you…clearly," she added, feigning discomfort when she eyed the weapons pointed at her.

"I ain't feeding you, bitch," the redheaded man snarled at the demeaning thought and tossed the bars into her lap to untie one hand.

Helena looked at the three men who were watching her very closely as the tie wrap was cut, freeing her hand. She smirked and took the opportunity to make a show of her consumption. Running a finger seductively over a bar before picking it up caused the young blond thug to swallow excitedly and shift on his feet. She picked up the bar and, in spite of her gnawing hunger, slowly tore open the wrapping with her white teeth. Biting into the chocolate protein bar she emitted a loud "Hmmm" which was not entirely a show; the food was appeasing her very unhappy stomach. She made a similar show of the second bar and as she started to eat the third, the men grew impatient.

"You've got a hell of an appetite, bitch," the blond man blurted with a frown.

"You have _**no**_ idea," she responded seductively as she opened her third bar. "But I would prefer pop tarts."

"Stop stalling!" the redheaded goon snarled. "Meal time is over. We're going to have some fun now," he eyed her with a moment of hesitation.

"Trying to figure out how to handle me, hmmm?" Helena asked innocently. "My question for you is, do you really think you can…" she eyed him in challenge, angering him.

The redheaded goon stood in front of her chair and put his pistol down on the table before rubbing himself rudely to show her what was coming. As he reached for his belt, he suddenly found himself on his back, nursing a broken nose.

In concert with the sudden head-butt, Helena swiftly stood with one arm still tied to the chair and snatched the rifle from the surprised blond thug with her free hand. In a violent but graceful arc, she swung the butt of the rifle at the black thug, nailing him in his temple, rendering him unconscious. As he crumbled to the deck, she dropped the weapon and grabbed the chair with both hands as she swirled around, whacking the blond guy with the chair, which broke apart. As the blond goon fell unconscious, she noticed the redheaded jerk scrambling up and grabbing for his pistol.

Without hesitation, she smashed the chair arm over his hand and broke it, causing the man to cry out in more pain and drop to the floor, cradling his injured limb with a whimper.

"Guess you just learned the hard way - you **can't** handle me," she growled before knocking him unconscious.

After tying them up, she started for the exit where the leader, Jack, had left. Suddenly, she stopped. Her eyes on the immediate target, she darted towards the bowl of protein bars. Scooping a few, she quickly shoved a couple in her duster's pockets. To hell with the unflattering bulges, she considered, and started munching on one as she jogged out of the mess hall.

**/BoP\**

Helena found herself on deck again, carefully navigating around the cargo containers in case there were more armed goons patrolling. Wondering what kind of cargo warranted such heavily armed protection, she stopped in front of one container. After a glance around to determine the coast was clear, she grabbed the chain and lock and gave it a healthy pull, causing a weak link to deform and open up. She quickly looked around for patrols. Satisfied, she carefully put the chain down and opened up the container to find it packed with wooden crates.

Swell.

Not in the mood to break a nail or get a splinter, she reluctantly backed out of the container and was intercepted by another roving watch. "Stop right there!" the man nervously pointed his weapon at her.

"Well, when you put it that way," she said, lifting her hands up in mock surrender before she swiftly stepped to the side and grabbed his rifle, abruptly shoving it at his face. Hard. He crumbled to the ground, unconscious.

A rifle shot rang out, nicking Helena in the shoulder. Her hand reflexively went to her wound as she sought cover and exhaled a pained hiss followed by a soft curse. Barbara was going to be pissed.

Another shot rang out, pinging against the metal crate she quickly moved behind.

She glanced around the crates then to the water with a frown. Her strength had returned enough to fly but even if she managed to get off the boat without getting shot, she wasn't sure where land was. And she wasn't sure she was strong enough to keep going until she found some. The last thing on her to-do list was passing out and drowning.

More shots rang out, each hitting the crates near Helena. Too close, she considered worriedly.

Fuck!

She heard the sound of a jet engine coming towards them before she saw what she never would have considered a beautiful sight before now – the batplane.

"_Huntress? Are you there?" _

A big smile filled her face as the plane's engines turned and the craft hovered over the deck.

"Roger that, Nightwing," she said. "What the hell took you so long?"

_He chuckled, expecting as much. "Your GPS doesn't seem to be working. But the sensors picked up gunshots and somehow I knew you were involved. Don't tell me - you're actually happy to see me?" he joked. _

"There's a first time for everything." She said but couldn't keep the smile off her face. Even with the continued gunfire directed at her.

"_Now why am I not surprised to find you in the middle of the ocean being shot at," he said, shaking his head. Flipping on the heat sensor, the small screen in the cockpit showed more people coming onto the deck. "You've got more company coming to the party."_

The shooting increased; shots were shared between the batplane, which bounced off the bulletproof hull, and the non-bulletproof Huntress.

"Can you pop the cockpit so I can catch a ride? I'm not up to par at the moment," she admitted.

"_You think you're bulletproof now too?" he said with a bit of irritation for her recklessness._

"Recent experience would indicate I'm not," she said, gingerly touching near her wound as shots continued to ricochet against the metal containers near her.

"_How bad," he said with concern._

"Just a nick. I can fly up to you but I was hoping you had some sort of bat-gadgetry to help cover my escape."

"_Oh," he said uncomfortably, knowing he shouldn't have assumed the worst about Helena. "Right. Smoke bombs coming up."_

/BoP\

As promised, golf ball-sized pellets were shot down, immediately exploding into a thick cloud of smoke enveloping the deck, the gunmen, and Helena. Dick flicked a switch on the dashboard and the cockpit canopy popped up and slid back. After a few moments, his eyes widened at the surreal sight of Helena floating in front of the plane. He watched, amazed as she slowly drifted above and climbing into the back seat.

"Wow," he honestly said.

"It's pretty cool when I'm not crashing into things," she said with a small smile.

Dick chuckled, knowing of her difficulties.

"Seems like you're getting the hang of it," he offered, glancing down at the deck where the smoke was dissipating.

"Hmm. Is it me, or do these guys seem like bad guys?" She said as gunfire continued, though less aggressively as the men fumbled around in the thick fog.

"I was getting that impression. Let me look up the registry for the good ship, Katarina Novolski."

"This plane is kind of cool. Lots of buttons," Helena said, looking closely at the many buttons and switches on the backseat console.

"Careful you don't drop a bomb on them," he said absently, calling up the information on his computer.

"Would that really be such a bad thing? I mean they just start shooting at you without getting to know you. At least they should get to know you first," she offered.

"I don't think there are too many criminals who care about etiquette," he said.

"Hey, mom did!"

"With the exception of your mother, of course," Dick said smoothly. "Interesting."

"What?"

"You don't happen to know _**why**_ those goons are shooting at us over cargo belonging to Daley Imports?"

Helena's eyes widened with surprise. "Ha! I knew it!"

"Knew what?"

"Obviously these guys are embarrassed by their ugly furniture," she said with authority.

"Huh?" Sometimes he really hated talking with Helena.

"Barbara thought there might be some drug importing going on with them but we didn't find evidence," Helena said. "I bet we'd find some now," she said with a satisfied smile, looking down at the deck that was still partially obscured by the thinning cloud of smoke.

"Perhaps it's time for our Coast Guard friends to pay them a visit," Dick said, sending out a message to his contact in the service, followed by one to the Clock Tower.

_Found Helena a little banged up on a cargo ship. I'm taking her home now. She's probably very hungry. Hope the kitchen is stocked._

* * *

_Continued in Chapter 13..._


	13. Chapter 13 - Moving Forward

**Primal Instinct II: 0.4 Seconds**

A Birds of Prey (B/H) story

by Enginerd

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Moving Forward**

"Yes!" Dinah cried out excitedly as she read the screen. Bolting up from her chair, she ran towards Barbara's bedroom shouting, "Dick found her! Dick _**found**_ her!"

Jim and Alfred emerged from the kitchen and watched Dinah bound up the stairs, two at a time. Glancing at each other, Jim sighed with relief. "Thank God."

"Indeed."

Dinah rushed into the bedroom and repeated her news. "She's alive and coming **home**, Barbara! She's coming home!"

Barbara turned to look at her not sure she could believe the unlikely news. "Wh…where was she?"

"She was on a cargo ship!" Dinah gushed, seeing the surprise on Barbara's face, she added, "I know, right?!" She giggled. "Oh! I should help Alfred prepare her some food or something. Dick said she's very hungry!" She started to leave but hesitated. "He also said she's a little banged up," she said with a little worry. "I'll get the medical kit ready for you and Alfred can do the food without me… of course – duh. This is so GREAT!" She blurted excitedly and left Barbara's room.

Barbara stared at the doorway where Dinah departed. After a few moments, she saw her father in the doorway. They looked at each other in silence for a moment. "You ok, honey?" Jim asked his daughter.

She blinked and absently nodded before plastering on a smile. "Now I am."

He eyed her a skeptical moment then nodded.

/**BoP**\

From her bedroom, Barbara could hear the squeals of delight from Dinah that almost rivaled the Black Canary's. They were here, she considered; a numbness had settled upon her prevented relief or happiness. Many long moments passed before she finally heard the familiar voice she had longed to hear.

"Barbara?" Helena called softly.

Barbara shut her eyes. Helena was actually here. Her numbness started to fade away as her ache welled up. The person that meant everything to her had survived.

Helena looked at her lover with concern. Jim had discreetly mentioned that she had thought Helena didn't survive the blast and took it really hard.

Quietly, she entered the bedroom and slowly approached the redhead, who was now looking at her with an unreadable expression. Kneeling before her, Helena lowered her head to Barbara's lap and sighed with relief.

She was home.

Tears filled Barbara's eyes as she leaned down to embrace this precious gift, still not quite believing the danger had truly passed and Helena survived it. She exhaled unevenly as tears fell, relishing in the feel of her lover.

"We did it," Helena exhaled softly.

Barbara sat back up and shook her head regretfully, though her fingers reverently combed through the brunette's hair, needing the contact.

"No," she softly argued. "The only thing I did was almost get you killed," Barbara said guiltily. Her gaze dropped to the tear in her jacket and blood.

"Barbara…" Helena said with surprised concern and looked up, clearly not in agreement.

"You're hurt. Let's get you patched up," Barbara said with authority, relieved to have something productive to do…and a distraction from her chaotic emotions that were bubbling up. She wondered if numbness wasn't better; she never really did emotions well.

"It's noth…" Helena said dismissively.

"Helena," Barbara said sternly, grabbing Helena's hand. "Please," she added earnestly.

"Ok. Ok," Helena relented, unable to say no. "Training room?" she asked, getting up.

"Bathroom. Dinah put the kit in there," she said, not meeting Helena's gaze. In fact, she seemed to avoid looking into her eyes.

"Are you OK?"

"I will be when I get you patched up," Barbara responded firmly with a nod and rolled into the bathroom with a worried Helena following behind.

**/BoP\**

Quietly, Helena put the seat down on the commode and sat, watching Barbara roll to the counter and pick up the medical kit. A task that Barbara had repeated for her too many times to count.

"What can I do?" Helena said softly, noting Barbara's…off…behavior.

"Take your jacket off," Barbara said, absently motioning to Helena, who frowned and did as asked. The tear and red stain on her silk blouse brought a displeased look to Barbara's face. "Your shirt too," she added as she washed her hands.

Helena took off her shirt and noted Barbara's frown. "I'm afraid there's really nothing to stich up. You'll scar," she said in guilty resignation, inspecting the damage.

Helena watched her start to clean the wound with a damp cloth. Barbara usually had steady hands but at this moment, they trembled. "What's going on, Barbara?" Helena said softly, gently grasping her hand, stopping her from tending the wound.

"N…" Barbara was going to deny anything was wrong and dismiss Helena's concern but the lie got caught in her throat as her emotions welled up and nearly suffocated her. Seeing fresh tears welling up, Helena pulled her into a protective hug. Her hands slowly caressed her lover's back as Barbara desperately clung to her, needing her comfort.

"The crisis is over, Barbara. I'm ok," she whispered into her ear. "I'm here now," she said soothingly.

"No thanks to me," she responded guiltily as tears fell.

"Barbara, you're wrong," Helena said firmly, not going to let Barbara wallow in unfounded guilt. "I'm alive today because of you," she said with a tighter hug.

Barbara wiped at her tears, continuing with her self-flagellation. "I couldn't think," she admitted with disgust. "I couldn't think!" she said incredulously. "I…I've been in stressful situations before but this time…I couldn't think. I was so worried about losing you and…and I can't let my emotions paralyze me and put you or Dinah in jeopardy. I _**have**_ to be able to think to keep you safe. I failed you…." she said miserably, breaking down into sobs, clutching onto Helena desperately.

"Oh God no, Barbara. You're human. So this mission threw you. It happens. But you always have a way of adapting and overcoming challenges. That's one of the many things I…"

"I can't… I can't live like this," Barbara interrupted miserably as tears fell. "I can't do this anymore, Helena," she announced regretfully, pulling back from their hug to look her pleadingly in the eye.

Fear washed over Helena, who had envisioned a far different homecoming – one that did not involve them breaking up. Tears welled up as she wondered how she could possibly live without loving Barbara. She immediately recognized she would always love her, even if denied the ability to be with her. Oh God, Helena thought, wondering if the unbearable ache that gripped her heart would actually shatter it.

"I … just want you happy," Helena said hoarsely, truly meaning it, even if she was not to share in that happiness. She vowed to walk away if Barbara asked but she never expected to have to honor that vow.

Helena had mixed feelings at the relief that flooded Barbara's smiling face.

"Thank you," Barbara said emotionally, cupping Helena's cheek and looking at her intently before leaning into a heart-felt kiss.

Helena blinked in confusion. Was this a good-bye kiss? Before Helena had a chance to make the most of the intimacy, Barbara pulled back with a serene smile.

"I do love you. And I know that during this mission it wasn't the most romantic setting for me to ask you and well, this really isn't either but I want you to know I really meant it," Barbara said with a shy smile. "I want you to marry me. Will you, Helena? Will you marry me?"

Helena's eyes widened. Barbara's smile started to fade a little more with each silent moment that passed.

"You don't want to get married?" Barbara said hesitantly, crestfallen.

"What? No! Yes. I mean…of course I do! But…," Helena blurted, clearly confused.

"But?"

"So what were you talking about before?" Helena asked, baffled.

Barbara looked at her not understanding.

"Not being able to think because of me, ring a bell? Not being able to do your job worrying about…," Helena stopped when it hit her, "you're quitting?!"

"Yes," Barbara answered with confusion. "What were you thinking I…" Barbara stopped when it hit her. "You thought…I was choosing crime fighting over you?" she said, hurt.

"Barbara," Helena said and took both of Barbara's hands in hers. "I know how important it is to you."

"You don't know how important _**you**_ are to me?" Barbara asked with concern.

"I know I am important to you but I guess…I never expected to be more important than crime fighting."

"I am so sorry I ever gave you the impression you came second, Helena," Barbara looked at her sadly. "I honestly never expected to find someone that was more important. But you are, Helena Kyle. I love you with everything that I am," she declared and squeezed Helena's hands tightly. "I wish I could manage my fear but this last mission made me realize I can't. I lost focus too many times. And that puts everyone at risk. I used to be able to bury my feelings but I can't with you, they are too powerful. But I also realized - I don't want to," she said gently, caressing Helena's cheek.

Helena remained silent, listening to Barbara bare her soul. She could understand the fear, but she still couldn't imagine Barbara giving up on what had been her calling.

"I've never felt like this about anyone, Helena. And I am not about to give it or you up. I've paid my dues and I want to have a life where I'm not terrified of losing you. I want us to grow old together," Barbara said, then shrugged and shyly offered, "maybe have kids."

Helena blinked, still digesting what she was saying when Barbara asked a little uneasily "so, what do you think?"

Helena reverently kissed Barbara's hands. "I want you happy. And if giving up crime fighting will make you happy. I want that," she said carefully, expecting that after the emotions settled down, Helena was sure Barbara would see that she was overreacting. But she knew now was not the time to point that out. Now was the time to provide Barbara with piece of mind and unconditional support.

"Thank you," Barbara said and pulled Helena into a deep kiss.

**/BoP\**

Barbara and Helena finally made it down to Delphi. Barbara was surprised to find several anxious faces; the crisis was over and Helena saved New Gotham and survived.

When a happy smile filled Barbara's face, there was a collective sigh of relief from her friends and family. "We have two announcements to make," Barbara said eagerly, taking Helena's hand in hers. "I asked Helena to marry me and she said yes."

"Awesome!" Dinah said. Alfred nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations, Barbara. Helena," Jim said, patting Helena on the back and shaking her hand.

"Guess Barbara is determined to make an honest woman out of me," Helena joked, slipping her arm around her love, who softly nudged her with a shoulder and shook her head at the bad joke.

Barbara and Helena looked over to Dick, who looked at them quietly. He gave them a small smile. "What are the chances your second announcement is that one of you is pregnant?" he joked, attempting to remain calm. He knew he would always harbor doubts about them, but had come to accept Barbara was determined and apparently totally in love with Helena. And it really did appear that Helena loved Barbara.

"That _**would**_ be an interesting announcement," Barbara responded with a smirk.

"She didn't ask me to marry her because she knocked me up," Helena rolled her eyes and added. "But she would so totally do the honorable thing if she did."

Barbara stared at her. "What?" Helena asked defensively.

"Well? What's the second announcement?" Dinah blurted excitedly.

With some hesitancy, Barbara looked at Helena, who rubbed her shoulder and nodded with encouragement, even if she thought Barbara would eventually change her mind. She knew what Barbara needed now, and that was her support. "Helena and I will also be leaving the crime fighting business. We've decided to retire from that part of our lives."

"You can't be serious," Dick blurted incredulously, looking between the two, as if waiting for one of them to laugh and tell them it was just a bad joke.

Alfred frowned and whispered to Jim, "that was unexpected."

"Was it?" Jim asked softly, knowing Barbara had gone through a horrible scare that she would do everything to avoid again.

"But…who will teach me?" Dinah said worriedly, looking at her apologetic mentor.

"I was hoping, that you would take a break too, until you're older," Barbara said.

"Are you asking me to quit?!" Dinah blurted anxiously.

"No. I can't ask you to do that. When I was your age, I made the decision to pursue crime fighting," Barbara noted.

"Without my input," Jim grumbled softly, getting a small smile from Barbara.

"Dinah, I trust you will do what is right for you. And if that is to still pursue this calling," Barbara said, glancing from Dinah to Dick, "I can think of no better mentor than Dick," she said with confidence in her eyes. "You could stay here in New Gotham until Dinah decides what to do next…."

"Now hold on, Barbara," Dick blurted with irritation. You are telling me you can easily quit being Oracle? After you fought tooth and nail after your shooting to get back into crime fighting and make a difference?" Dick said incredulously.

"Yes," Barbara said simply, getting Dick to shake his head in disbelief. "Dinah, know that you are always welcome to stay with me…us," she amended when Helena squeezed her shoulder, "but I will not be Oracle. And truth be told, I would feel better if you did and retired from this," Barbara noted, motioning to Delphi, "life."

"Did you put her up to this?" Dick barked at Helena, who could understand his surprise. Barbara was giving up what she had fought so hard for and believed so thoroughly in.

"It was my idea, Dick," Barbara quickly responded.

"But we are in this together," Helena offered, getting a warm smile from Barbara.

"This is wrong, Barbara. You have done so much for people. Are you really willing to turn your back on …" he argued, pointing an accusing finger at Barbara as he stepped towards her.

"STOP!" Helena growled and stepped between them. "What else do you think she needs to sacrifice before it is too much?!" Helena spat.

"I just…" he started to explain but was interrupted.

"And don't you dare say she is turning her back on anyone! Don't. You. Dare," Helena seethed.

"Helena," Barbara said softly, wanting to stop this from escalating.

"Why don't you go find your hero, Bruce, and lecture HIM about turning his back on the public…his _**family**_," she spat at him, hitting a sore spot.

"Dick, I can't do this any more. It's best if …" Barbara explained, hoping he would see the truth in her words.

"The Barbara Gordon I know would never quit!" he interrupted heatedly.

"Then I suppose you don't know me as well as you thought," Barbara said coolly, getting annoyed by his constant judgment of her.

"Finally! Something we can agree on," he spat and glared at the two women and stormed off, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.

After several moments, Helena spoke up. "I really thought he would have a bigger problem with our marriage announcement," she said thoughtfully, squeezing Barbara's shoulder and giving her a peck on the cheek. "Got any food, Alfred?"

"Certainly," Alfred said and gratefully retreated to the kitchen with Helena in tow.

Dinah looked lost.

"Do you think New Gotham would have survived without you and Helena?" Dinah asked, needing to make sense of this.

"I almost got us all killed, Dinah," she said, startling the teen. "I was making mistakes because I could not keep my emotions separate from the mission. I will not be put in that position again. I though you of all people would understand that," Barbara said pointedly.

"And you are making Helena quit too? Even with her new power that can help even more people?" Dinah asked, causing Barbara to frown uncomfortably.

"I…I'm not making Helena do anything. She supports me and if you recall, she never wanted to be in this business to begin with," she argued, which did not sound very compelling to her own ears.

"I think it is a mistake to quit, Barbara," Dinah said honestly and sighed heavily before retreating to her room.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake too, Dad?" Barbara challenged as she watched a depressed teen climb the stairs.

"I'm sure you are doing what you think you need to do. Everyone has their limits, honey," he acknowledged sagely. "And learning that can be terrifying. I hope you know I am proud of you, Barbara. And that is not tied to what job you have or how many people you save. I am proud of who you are. An intelligent and strong woman," he added softly.

"Thank you, Dad," she said, receiving a hug.

"What do you say we try to get something to eat – before Helena cleans Alfred out," Jim joked.

* * *

**Epilogue**

That evening, Barbara and Helena sighed contentedly in each other's arms after tender lovemaking.

Helena noted how happy Barbara seemed with her decision, like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. Helena had always thought Barbara took too much responsibility for, well, everything, which made her worry that if crime flared up again and people got hurt, Barbara would feel responsible and bear the guilt for not being there to help. But she would support Barbara's decision, she silently vowed. Even if it didn't last very long, she considered, expecting that Barbara had too much crime fighting DNA to give it up entirely. But whatever ultimately happened, they would be going on this uncertain journey together, Helena thought with determination.

"What's wrong?" Barbara asked, noting the look of contemplation on Helena's face.

"Should I wear a tux?" Helena asked out of the blue.

"Now?" Barbara asked dryly, lifting up the sheets to look at Helena's nude form.

"For the wedding!" Helena moaned, getting Barbara to chuckle.

"I'm sure you'd look beautiful in one," Barbara said honestly. "And I'm sure you'd look equally as beautiful in a gown."

"What do you want to wear?" Helena asked.

"I really haven't thought about it," Barbara admitted. "What do you want me to wear?" she asked curiously, propping her elbow on the pillow and resting her head in her hand.

"Anything you want, or nothing at all," Helena declared boldly.

"I suppose we could go to a nudist colony for the ceremony," Barbara said, making Helena snort. "No, really, what would you like me to wear?"

"Is this an indication that you don't want to do the planning?" Helena asked, rolling on her side to face Barbara.

"Why were you assuming I would be the one to plan?"

"You are a planner. I am a doer. Surely this is not news to you?" Helena said, tracing her hand over Barbara's body and pausing at a nipple that stood at attention.

"Are you saying I'm not a doer?" Barbara said with challenge, rolling Helena on her back before kissing her deeply.

Helena chuckled. "Nope. You're most certainly a doer. You do me; exceptionally well, I might add. You are the complete package, Barbara Gordon. A planner **and** a doer."

Barbara smiled. "I love you," she said with a chaste kiss.

"Good. Because marrying me would really be a mistake if you didn't," Helena said.

"I love you and I will always fight for you, Helena Kyle," Barbara vowed seriously, surprising Helena, whose mouth was claimed with a passionate kiss that lead to more doing.

After each woman was sated, the past several days started to catch up with them; both were close to drifting off.

"Thank you for saying yes," Barbara said softly, her eyes closed. Feeling safe and loved within Helena's comforting arms.

"Don't thank me. I'm the luckiest . . . woman on the planet," Helena responded with a yawn, her eyes closed.

"We'll have to agree to disagree," Barbara said sleepily, shifting a little.

"Well done, Red," Helena said than yawned. "My woo-meter just …spiked," Helena said drowsily. "I'll have … to… hmmm," Helena said and fell asleep.

"Hmmm," Barbara responded and drifted into a restful slumber.

**The End **

* * *

**Author's note: **I appreciate the comments and the concern of being off the Fan Fic scene for a while. Difficult family issues popped up and took my time away from my favorite hobby. I have many ideas in this and other fandoms and do intend to continue to write. But time is tricky. I hope you've enjoyed this latest offering.


End file.
